Leslie Bohn on 'Making Memories' with Massive Squad for Youth Open

By Dennis Bergendorf

In the enormity that is Junior Gold, it’s rare that one single squad stands out. But one certainly does, and that’s the lead-off session of the Youth Open, which is filled end-to-end by 164 kids under the tutelage of super-organizer Leslie Bohn.

For years, the wife of PBA star Parker has set up squads in youth events, but this may the biggest yet. How does she do it?

All the members of Bohn and Crew

Well social media helps, as the bowlers work together to come up with the four-person teams, but Leslie makes the arrangements, schedules the time, and orders the jerseys. “Their squad has the same jersey on them,” she says, adding that that piece of cloth even plays a role in recruiting. “Over the years, kids have seen these cool jerseys and said, 'How do I become a part of that?’ So parents reach out and say, ‘Hey, we’d like to be a part of The Bohn and Crew.’

This year the crew celebrated with a cake, “to celebrate the first of many more squads to come.”

Leslie says the kids get a unique opportunity “to connect with other kids who have the same passion for the game. And everybody knows that my favorite saying is ‘making memories.’” For years, that’s exactly what she’s done.