Derek Hayes, a sophomore in the Ten Pin Alley Youth Program, has been chosen as the 2024 USBC Youth Ambassador of the Year. The annual award recognizes one female and one male USBC Youth bowler for exemplary academic accomplishments, community involvement and contributions to the sport of bowling outside of league or tournament play.
Winners are chosen on submitted applications, and each will receive a $1,500 scholarship.
Hayes, 15, is a sophomore at Verona Area High School who didn’t “get serious” about bowling until just two years ago. However, what he’s accomplished as an ambassador for the sport in that short amount of time is certainly notable, and it led to him winning this award.
“I was at a loss for words when I got the phone call and was being told that I won the award,” Hayes said. “I didn’t really know how to react, so I was just kind of sitting there. I think my mom thought that I was just brushing it off like nothing happened, but in reality, I was just stunned. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before, and I feel so fortunate that I was chosen for this.”
Hayes got started in the sport when his friend, Connor Smith, asked him to join a Saturday morning junior league in 2020 just to have some fun. Then, in the summer of 2022, he switched to a two-handed style, took a lesson from his local pro shop owner and, through a lot of practice and hard work, improved his average from 116 to 185.
Hayes was hooked. As a freshman, he joined the bowling team at Verona Area High School and was named Freshman of the Year for his district. He also made an active decision to share his passion and love for the sport with others. He learned of a Special Olympics bowling program being run through his high school. Hayes became a volunteer for the program, coaching and socializing with the Special Olympians.
In the Madison Area USBC Youth Championships, Hayes has been in the winners circle for two consecutive years. He earned two championships last season, a Class B Doubles (with Smith), bowling 234 pins over average, and the Class D Singles with a +248 effort on a 608 series. This season, he led the Class B Ten Pin Keglers team (Alex Duong, Hayes, Smith, and Casimir Jankowski) to a championship, bowling 131 pins over average with a 686 series – including a 290 game – good for a Single Class A championship as well.
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