Ron Gonen, a former athlete from the University of Massachusetts and Young Athletes of America Water Polo Club, has established a $5,000 scholarship available to water polo athletes aged 14-19 who exhibit leadership or the potential for leadership based on the values of teamwork, sportsmanship and community.

Named in honor of his mother, the purpose of the scholarship is to provide an athlete with limited financial means the opportunity for high level training and instruction, or similar academic endeavors during a 24-month period of time.

Candidates must be nominated by May 15th, providing a description of the individual’s character, leadership abilities, and potential as a water polo player, along with a detailed outline of how the funds will be used. The recipient(s) will be announced May 30th. All nominations should be sent to office@americanwaterpolo.org, while additional questions should be directed to gonenrg@gmail.com.

Application Process:

Nominations should be 1-2 pages in length and include…

Name and contact information of the person making the nomination
Relationship to the nominee
Name of the nominee
Date of birth
School
Grade
Team affiliation
Name of parents or guardians
Contact information of the nominee

First portion of the nomination should include a description of the nominee with respect to the candidate’s character, leadership abilities in an out of the pool, and potential as a water polo player.

Second portion of the nomination should focus on the how the money will be used including a specific
budget. This scholarship is based on financial need as one of the criteria, so nominations should reference why the money is necessary.

Deadline for all nominations is May 15th.