For DonorsFor Applicants

Grow The Game Volleyball Scholarship

Funded by
user profile avatar
Cody Kessel
$2,850
2 winners, $1,425 each
Awarded
Application Deadline
Mar 31, 2021
Winners Announced
Apr 30, 2021
Education Level
Any
2
Contributions

Pass, set, hit! Calling all volleyball student athletes to apply to the Grow the Game Volleyball Scholarship.

Throughout the country, over 500,000 high school students play volleyball, and that number is growing every year. Created right here in the United States, volleyball has granted many students opportunities to play in every corner of the world.

As a way to encourage budding volleyball stars, the Grow the Game Volleyball Scholarship exists to support passionate US volleyball players in their careers and to encourage leadership in growing the game at all levels. 

Applicants from any gender, level of education, field of study, or competitive level of volleyball are welcome to apply. 

Our sport is played indoors, on the sand, on grass, and even on snow. It is also a lifetime sport that can be played from ages 8 to 80. 

Recipients will be chosen based on their passion, achievement, and leadership efforts in growing the game.

Selection Criteria:
Essay, Volleyball, Drive, Ambition
Published November 11, 2020
Essay Topic

Share one of your favorite moments on the court. What makes you passionate about volleyball? How will you support and grow the game, or how have you shown leadership in this area in the past? 

150–750 words

Winning Applications

Jamesly Metayer
Edward Waters CollegeJACKSONVILLE, FL
When people here volleyball do you think about girls. Volleyball wasn’t really a guys work and I feel like that more people should do volleyball. I live in Florida now a lot of people do volleyball here. But I first started volleyball I loved it and the minute the ball touched my hand to the digs to the kills to the aces. it was like the feeling when you touch a door and you get shot or rub your feet on the carpet in touch somebody . Volleyball change my lives in more ways than I can count. One of my favorite moments on the volleyball court when I saw the smiles oh my team is faces. We were just playing playing even tho we were losing I was fun. The thing that makes me passionate about volleyball is meeting new people, connecting with different people. Ivy volleyball as a medium used to connect/bring people together. The way that I plan to support and grow the game is to go to college, graduate, play pro volleyball, and this build 3 giant volleyball sport complexes just specifically for volleyball. I want to create a club team and a pro team to increase the number of volleyball athletes in the world. I also want to host Volleyball Academy every year to train and educate players. I know how it is, I know the problems I know the pain. But you have to make sacrifices,Like Kobe said, everything take sacrifice. If you want everything you have to give everything to give me a time to give your attention to give everything you have your body go hard and fight never stop being persistent. I was taught that there are two people in life the ones that believe in the ones that achieve, but why can’t you be both.
Trey Voeller
Pcm High SchoolPrairie City, IA
Malik Faisal, a prince of Saudi Arabia, said, “Life brings tears, smiles, and memories. The tears dry, the smiles fade, but the memories last forever.” In other words, the memories I have will last for my entire existence. Some have brought pain and suffering, while others still brighten my day when I recall them. Everyone has one memory that they can remember like it happened yesterday. Although many of my most cherished memories come from volleyball, one stands out above the rest. Looking back, history has proven that to see the future, one must go through the past. Today, my dreams of being a Men's Volleyball Olympian were beginning. My 11-year-old body felt numb and could not comprehend anything happening around me. I am in line to sign up for my first volleyball camp, but this was no ordinary volleyball camp. It was my first camp. As I sign my name onto the nametag, all I can think about is what will happen these next couple of hours. Suddenly, I feel myself floating toward the gymnasium, but when I look in, those thoughts disappear. I look inside again, and I remain shocked. I was the only guy, and looking at my mom, I asked her if she was positive this camp was for guys. She told me that she was 100% sure that this camp was for guys and that I needed to stop worrying. As I put on my kneepads and volleyball shoes, I ask my mom a couple more times, but she disregarded my questions by telling me to find someone to warm up with. I look around the gym, and I have no clue where to start, so my mom told me to start by saying "hi." After a lot of debating, I walk up to a couple of girls on the far side of the gym. When I asked to warm up with them, they looked at each other, whispered, and after a moment or two, told me that I could. After warming up, my nerves started to go down, and the rest of the camp went by too quickly. Little did I know that those two girls would become my closest friends and push me further than anyone else to reach my goals. Since that day, my love for volleyball has been immense and continues to grow. As a twelve-year-old, I made it onto my first 18u team. Two years ago, I started playing sand doubles volleyball on a co-ed and boys team. Also, I have been playing on a 16u club team while being a co-captain. I strive to find new opportunities for myself as well as those around me. Within the past few years, I found the Iowa High-Performance Team. In 2019, I was selected to represent Iowa's Boys Select Team at the National High-Performance Tournament. I have been my school's volleyball manager for the past three years, since eighth grade. Allowing me to help others improve their game while also learning more about mine. As a freshman, I became a line judge for home volleyball games which stirred a desire to become a certified referee. Getting certified would enable me to ref any home games for students one year younger than myself. In the future, I aspire to become a high school or college volleyball coach. After I retire, I hope to open my own Sports Complex and run my Volleyball club. I also will continue to play volleyball because it is a sport for all ages. Overall, volleyball has allowed me to become strong physically and mentally. Growing up in Iowa, it is very uncommon for a middle school or high school male student to be involved in volleyball. I also live in a small rural area where everyone focuses on football and wrestling. Since I do not participate in those activities, it has enabled my peers to label me easily. When I have rough days, it only brings me closer to volleyball because volleyball is my way of escape. The support from my volleyball community surrounds me. When I hit a volleyball, I am free. I own the world, and nothing can stop me. When I dive to dig the ball, only my imagination can stop me. My goal is to let others create memories like mine through a game that I love. I would not be the type of person I am now without volleyball because memories make us into who we are.

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Mar 31, 2021. Winners will be announced on Apr 30, 2021.