Typically athletic scholarships go to athletes in traditional sports like football, basketball or volleyball. But even students involved in unusual sports like wakeboarding can find scholarships. Wakeboarding involves a rider being pulled behind a motorized boat on a wakeboard that is similar to snowboard but for water. Wakeboarding scholarships may be used to participate on the wakeboarding team in college or for participating in wakeboarding as a hobby and come from a variety of sources.
Arizona State Water Ski Team Scholarship
Members of the Arizona State Water Ski Team participate in water skiing, as well as wakeboarding, and can earn the Sun Devil Scholarship awarded by the school. The scholarships give on average $4,000 per student, as of 2011, and help students on the ski team cover tuition costs. Exact scholarship amounts vary depending on the student’s financial need, grade point average and SAT or ACT scores. To qualify, students must first try out for and make the Arizona State Water Ski Team. Once a student makes the team, he will be eligible to apply for the scholarship.
Lake Stevens Water Ski and Wakeboard Club
Operating in Lake Stevens, Washington, the Lake Stevens Water Ski and Wakeboard Club promotes the sports of water skiing and wakeboarding to members of the Lake Stevens community. The club sponsors tournaments, participates in community service activities, and also offers a scholarship to Lake Stevens’ high school seniors. In 2011, the annual scholarship awarded $500 to a high school senior to use toward college costs. Interested students can contact the Lake Stevens Water Ski and Wakeboard club through the club’s website to obtain a scholarship application.
American Water Ski Educational Foundation
The American Water Ski Educational Foundation, which promotes water skiing, wakeboarding and other water sports in the United States, offers nine different scholarships for water skiers and wakeboarders. In 2011, each of the scholarships awarded a different amount, ranging from $500 to $3,000. Some of the scholarships are open to current college students who are members of Water Ski USA. Those scholarships are awarded based on academic merit, community activities and a 500-word essay each applicant must submit with the application. Other scholarships go to winners of the Water Ski USA National Championships held each summer.
The Boarding School
Though not a college scholarship, The Boarding School in Orlando offers a scholarship for wakeboarders to take advantage of the school’s facilities. The Boarding School delivers professional instruction and top-of-the-line equipment for wakeboarders of all ages to work on their skills. The scholarship from The Boarding School gives the winner a week’s worth of riding and instruction worth $1,750, in 2011. Winners are responsible for their own transportation to the school. To apply for the scholarship, interested applicants should submit a 250-word essay describing why they deserve a week of free riding at The Boarding School. Essays can be submitted through The Boarding School website.
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Lindsey Thompson began her writing career in 2001. Her work has been published in the Cincinnati Art Museum's "Member Magazine" and "The Ohio Journalist." You'll also find her work on websites like Airbnb, Chron.com, and USAToday.com. Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism from the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.