Year Inducted: 2017
Nominated By: Ruth Shelton
Sports Competed In: Softball, Tennis
Athlete, Coach, or Contributor: Athlete and Contributor
High School:
Attended Penrose H.S. and graduated from Pueblo South High School in 1966.
Softball Achievements:
Henson is regarded as one of the top female softball (fast and slowpitch) players in Pueblo history, having won numerous local and state titles and awards.
She played youth softball in Canon City, then played as an adult in the Pueblo League while also traveling throughout Colorado. She won several all-tournament and tourney MVP awards as a shortstop and utility infielder with a .400 batting average. Much of her success was tied to the heralded Sidewinders softball team.
She also played on a squad that qualified for CO-ED Nationals in Modesto, Calif.
Tennis Achievements:
She started playing tennis at age 34, again, excelling in winning numerous tournaments and awards. Some highlights were:
● Qualified for and competed in the Mother-Daughter Family Equitable Tournament in New York at the U.S. Open.
● Winner of dozens of Colorado United States Tennis Association-sanctioned tournaments, along with several mixed doubles and women’s doubles city of Pueblo championships.
● She also played on several Colorado USTA league championship teams that advanced to the national championships.
● Holder of numerous Colorado USTA rankings, including: No. 1, mother-daughter doubles; No. 2, 5.0 mixed doubles, and No. 2, 35 and older mixed doubles.
● She served on the Pueblo Tennis Club Board, 1982-1998, heading the junior committee, and served on the Colorado Tennis Association tournament committee for many years.
She still plays USTA tournaments in the senior division.
Contributions:
She was 26 years old when she began officiating volleyball and became a Charter Member of the Colorado Volleyball Officials Association (CVOA) in 1975. In 2005, she became one of only 14 in the state to have officiated Volleyball for 30 years. She worked with girls' middle and high school volleyball in Pueblo, Canon City, Florence, Hoehne, Cotopaxi, Walsenburg, and other communities for decades.
She was selected 10 times to work the Colorado State High School Volleyball tournament.
Paula served two different terms as Area 4 Director (for a total of eight years) for the local volleyball coaches. Her responsibilities included assigning officials, contacting area schools, and conducting the weekly meetings. She also helped organize and operate many area clinics for officials.
She was inducted into the Colorado Volleyball Officials Association Hall of Fame.
Related Activities:
Henson competes in six leagues of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
Personal:
Paula has lived most of her life in Pueblo and is married to Steve Henson, retired managing editor of The Pueblo Chieftain. The couple has five children: Tia, Chandra, Casey, Stephen, and Nathan.
