Discover scholarship opportunities at Patriot Aquatics, designed to support athletes in pursuing their water polo dreams, regardless of financial barriers.
Patriot’s goal is to provide an excellent water polo program to all players regardless of their socio-economic background. Our hope is to inspire them all and watch them grow.
Scholarship Details
Who is the money available for and what assistance is possible? Scholarships are available to those players/families who need assistance. We’ve developed a system, outlined below, to provide a defined review process and make selections in a transparent and fair manner. Our Patriot Scholarship Program was developed through communication with current board members, past scholarship recipients, and Patriot family members. The scholarship application is reviewed by the club’s leadership and Patriot Board. All applications will be reviewed to determine eligibility, need, and whether the club can afford to add another scholarship. Our program has three stages which we’d like each player to progress through over time. We believe this process builds character and attachment to the sport, Club and team.
Stage one covers 100% of annual registration fees and monthly dues. This stage comes up for review one month prior to the payment of the monthly dues. A player may remain in this stage for a maximum of 2 quarters or 6 months. When the maximum has been met, the player moves to the next stage. Stage 1 requires 20 Parent Volunteer Hours working on Club business (see responsibilities section for details). No multi-player discounts apply.
NOTE: It’s important to note that Patriot will not cover any tournament fees of any kind.
Stage 2 covers 50% of annual registration and monthly dues. This stage comes up for review one month prior to the quarterly dues payments. A player may remain in this stage for a maximum of 3 quarters. When the maximum has been met, the player moves to the next stage. Stage 2 requires 15 Parent Volunteer Hours working on Club business (see parent responsibilities section for details). No multi-player discounts apply.
Stage 3 covers 25% of annual registration and monthly dues. This stage comes up for review one month prior to the monthly dues payments. A player may remain in this stage for a maximum of 4 quarters. When the maximum has been met, the player moves to the next stage. Stage 3 requires 12 Parent Volunteer Hours working on Club business (see parent responsibilities section for details). No multi-player discounts apply.
It’s our hope that every family will understand how difficult it is to raise the capital necessary to operate a youth sports club. We want everyone to have a fair shot. The Board’s intent is to foster a love for the sport regardless of financial means. With a tiered system, we can offer multiple scholarship opportunities at graduated levels of support. Through parent volunteer hours, the Club receives much-needed operational participation, and players of all socioeconomic means gain exposure to the Patriot Aquatics community.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Patriot’s Scholarship is open to families of current and prospective players who can prove a financial need and provide the following:
Two letters of recommendation (can be from a counselor AND one letter from any of the following):
Teacher, coach, volunteer coordinator, or after-school program administrator
Proof of a 2.8 minimum cumulative GPA (or appropriate equivalent)
Essay of 250 words (see the topic in the application section)
Has to attend a minimum of 85% of practices-if this criterion is not met then the recipient will be charged per practice rate of $15 per missed practice during next month’s charge for monthly dues. Sickness or family emergency excused with a doctor’s note or explanation of family emergency.
ADDITIONAL CRITERIA
Must be a U.S. citizen or have valid green card-No exceptions
All applications with supporting documents must be submitted together online in one packet. No exceptions.
RECIPIENT REQUIREMENTS
Patriot Scholarship Recipients must maintain at least a 2.8 cumulative grade point average (GPA) based on a 4.00 scale or equivalent to qualify
Each scholarship is awarded with the caveat that parents need to help serve and grow the club. Below is a list of options to choose from.
TEAM PARENT
Weekly emails with team info
Occasional donuts and cookies after practice at the club expense
Help in the distribution of team gear
Provide members updates on tournament scheduling and coordination
TOURNAMENT VOLUNTEER
Works with Team Parents to communicate and market the tournament
Coordinates logistics – game times, hotel travel, etc.
FUNDRAISING
Find sponsors to cover Club scholarships (i.e local businesses pay the anonymous members dues for the month/quarter/year/etc. in exchange for marketing on our website and with team communications etc. Could even extend this to signage at games/tournaments etc.) -We can provide sponsorship packages
MARKETING/ADVERTISING
Could be as simple as actively posting to multiple FB groups in the local area
Setting up/Buying or coordinating ads at local events (church, paddle tennis club, Park’s depts.
Maintaining and updating club website
Working booths at other sports events in the area-ISL, Dino Dash
RECRUITING
Actively going to schools and other youth organizations to promote the club.
COACH SUPPORT
Assist coaches in checking in players at practices Liaison between coaches and board members/parents to distribute information and address specific age group needs