NEEDHAM, Mass. -
Young Women Leaders of Tomorrow, a program of the Direct Federal Credit Union, is awarding a total $93,000 in scholarships to almost 100 female athletes throughout 22 Massachusetts communities who exhibit exemplary leadership, sportsmanship, athleticism and academic excellence. The athletes are chosen from four sports: field hockey, basketball, ice hockey and softball.
"We are very excited about this program because it promises to help high school girls develop in the field of sports while at the same time giving them an increased sense of pride, accomplishment and team work that is necessary to become leaders in the community," said Jean Geiwitz, Direct FCU's senior vice president of marketing and operations. "We are excited to be able to expand our program and support and recognize the young leaders from the additional nine schools. We wanted to create a program that would both address a need and have high participation throughout the community."
Geiwitz said the Young Women Leaders of Tomorrow program is more than just a scholarship program.
"The Young Women Leaders of Tomorrow program requires a lot of work and commitment and we believe it is well worth the investment," she said. "We're encouraging and rewarding academic and athletic excellence because we believe to achieve both requires discipline, commitment and teamwork, all of which are essential ingredients of leadership. Encouraging young women to become leaders will benefit both the participants and the community as a whole."
The Young Women Leaders of Tomorrow program is supported by a variety of top female athletes including: WNBA and UCONN Star Rebecca Lobo, Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medalist Cammi Granato, All-American Girl's Professional Baseball League/Softball Pitcher Mary Pratt and Field Hockey Starts Megan Donnelly and Dina Rizzo.
"These young female athletes deserve to be recognized for their athletic and academic accomplishments," said Rebecca Lobo, in a prepared statement. "I'm so proud to be a supporter of such a great program, as it makes a difference in young girls' lives. I wish a program like this had existed when I was starting out."
Granato agreed, saying "It is so important for young girls to see that they're appreciated and that they, too, can grow up to be world-class athletes," in a written statement.
To be eligible for the program, the student must be a female high school senior whose team participates in either the Bay State Conference or the Tri-Valley League of Massachusetts.
Last year, the Young Women Leaders of Tomorrow program purchased uniforms for several of the female high school sports teams and sponsored games and jamborees.
Direct Federal Credit Union has about 45,000 members and $740 million in assets.
