Nearly 30 athletes and coaches from a diverse range of codes have been selected in the second round of 2016-2017 BayTrust Athlete and Coach Scholarships.
The scholarships, handed out by BayTrust and Sport Bay of Plenty aim to support and assist local talent to achieve their sporting goals on national and international stages, as well as allow coaches to develop new skills that can be delivered back to the community for the long-term benefit of up and coming athletes.
The BayTrust Athlete and Coach Scholarships are funded by the trust's $422,500 annual
contribution to Sport Bay of Plenty's CoachForce programme, which sees 22 CoachForce Officers from 18 codes developing other coaches who are working with thousands of athletes every week.
The scholarships are open to sports people studying and residing in the Bay of Plenty, with the intention that this high-quality sporting talent and coaching expertise is retained long-term in the region.
Athlete scholarships are available to any local athlete aged 16-23 years old who has achieved national representation in their sport, while the coach scholarships are for those individuals currently coaching at a recognised and endorsed level by their respective Regional Sporting Organisation (RSO) or equivalent body.