LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield Youth Sports Program (LYSP) has announced a new scholarship program for high school seniors who reside in town and have participated in the LYPS.
The scholarships will be awarded annually to two Lynnfield residents who have participated in the LYPS. Each scholarship will be for $1,000.
“Over the years, as a 501c3 charity we used nearly all of our revenue to benefit the program’s activities, but over the last few years we decided to do something that would have a more lasting impact, so we began setting aside funding for a scholarship account,” said former LYSP President Leo Fama.
“We just want to give back to kids who played sports in the community and we now have enough money to last at least 15-20 years for these scholarships. The hope is it should sustain itself for many, many years to come.”
The scholarship will be administered by a subcommittee consisting of Fama, current LYSP President Lauren Maney George and Lynnfield Police Chief Nick Secatore.
George, who is now in her second term, said the scholarship program has been in the works for some time.
“This has been Leo’s baby for a number of years and I’m all for it,” Maney said. “It’s great to see it finally come to fruition. LYSP is a well-established organization and has evolved over the years from when it first started in 1969 as Lynnfield Jr. Sports, and to now be able to recognize these kids with a scholarship is something we are proud of.”
If anyone knows a thing or two about youth sports in Lynnfield, it’s George. Her father, Joe Maney, also served the organization as president. George grew up in the program and went on to become a basketball standout at Lynnfield High and Holy Cross.
The deadline to apply for the scholarship is April 30. Applicants must be Lynnfield residents. They must be in good academic standing, have previously participated as a player in a youth sports program administered by LYSP and exemplify good sportsmanship and character in athletic competitions, as well as within the community. Applicants need not have participated in high school sports to be eligible.
To apply, applicants must email the following information to [email protected]: name; telephone number; list of the LYSP sports programs participated in, along with the dates of participation and the names of the coaches or other volunteers with whom they interacted; a list of all high school extracurricular activities, including sports, clubs, community service, academic achievements, and any awards or recognition they have received, and a short essay on what participation in youth athletics has meant and how they believe it has helped to demonstrate sportsmanship and character in athletics and in the community. The application must include an electronic signature.
Selections will be announced on May 15.
“We don’t have a lot of lead time this year, but we wanted to turn it around so we could give the scholarships to the Class of 2021,” said Fama. “I think that once the word gets out about this great opportunity, we will get more applicants as time goes by. We feel that $1,000 is a good stipend for kids trying to pay their college tuition.”
For questions or more information, email LYSP at [email protected].
