Ohio youth coach named USBC Youth Volunteer of the Year
March 02, 2016
ARLINGTON, Texas – Joyce Latham of Columbus, Ohio, who became a bowling coach more than 20 years ago, has been selected to receive the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Youth Volunteer of the Year Award.
The prestigious national award recognizes an adult volunteer who has displayed outstanding efforts to foster, organize and promote youth bowling at the local, state and/or national levels. The award winner is selected by the International Bowling Campus Youth Committee from those nominated.
“When I received the phone call saying I had been selected, I was speechless,” Latham said. “I thought to myself, surely there are others who are far more deserving than me. Receiving this award recognizes all the hard work and accomplishments I've achieved, especially for our youth. This sport has given me so much – my love of bowling, my bowling ‘family’, and many friends. I am just trying to pay it forward, and to receive this award for doing what I love for this great sport means so much to me.”
Latham became involved in bowling as a youth coach. Her husband had been coaching for a few years, and, seeing how much fun he had working with youth bowlers, she decided to also try coaching. She moved away from the sport after her husband passed away, but she was approached by the youth coordinator at Capri Lanes to see if she would come back to coaching.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed coaching the kids until I went back,” Latham said. “I am having so much fun, especially working with children whose parents I had coached, and also coaching my grandson. Seeing these youth bowl, and their achievements, makes it all worthwhile.”
In addition to coaching youth bowlers, Latham is chair of the youth committee and the scholarship golf outing, she co-chaired the travel league for two years, is a member of the Youth Advisory Council, served as co-advisor for the youth leaders for three years, and is the Registered Volunteer Supervisor. She also has served as the Ohio State USBC Youth Pepsi Tournament Director.
In addition to having served as a delegate to the Ohio USBC Women’s Bowling Association for several years, she also has been a delegate to the USBC National Convention and the State Youth meeting.
She has been honored as the Central Ohio USBC Volunteer of the Year and by the Ohio State USBC Youth.
As this year’s recipient of the 2016 USBC Youth Volunteer of the Year Award, Latham will receive an expenses-paid trip to the USBC Convention, scheduled for April 26-29 in Las Vegas, where she will be presented the award.
Go to BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards for more information about awards for adult youth leaders and scholarship opportunities for youth bowlers.
The prestigious national award recognizes an adult volunteer who has displayed outstanding efforts to foster, organize and promote youth bowling at the local, state and/or national levels. The award winner is selected by the International Bowling Campus Youth Committee from those nominated.“When I received the phone call saying I had been selected, I was speechless,” Latham said. “I thought to myself, surely there are others who are far more deserving than me. Receiving this award recognizes all the hard work and accomplishments I've achieved, especially for our youth. This sport has given me so much – my love of bowling, my bowling ‘family’, and many friends. I am just trying to pay it forward, and to receive this award for doing what I love for this great sport means so much to me.”
Latham became involved in bowling as a youth coach. Her husband had been coaching for a few years, and, seeing how much fun he had working with youth bowlers, she decided to also try coaching. She moved away from the sport after her husband passed away, but she was approached by the youth coordinator at Capri Lanes to see if she would come back to coaching.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed coaching the kids until I went back,” Latham said. “I am having so much fun, especially working with children whose parents I had coached, and also coaching my grandson. Seeing these youth bowl, and their achievements, makes it all worthwhile.”
In addition to coaching youth bowlers, Latham is chair of the youth committee and the scholarship golf outing, she co-chaired the travel league for two years, is a member of the Youth Advisory Council, served as co-advisor for the youth leaders for three years, and is the Registered Volunteer Supervisor. She also has served as the Ohio State USBC Youth Pepsi Tournament Director.
In addition to having served as a delegate to the Ohio USBC Women’s Bowling Association for several years, she also has been a delegate to the USBC National Convention and the State Youth meeting.
She has been honored as the Central Ohio USBC Volunteer of the Year and by the Ohio State USBC Youth.
As this year’s recipient of the 2016 USBC Youth Volunteer of the Year Award, Latham will receive an expenses-paid trip to the USBC Convention, scheduled for April 26-29 in Las Vegas, where she will be presented the award.
Go to BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards for more information about awards for adult youth leaders and scholarship opportunities for youth bowlers.