HSBN Creates Coronavirus Scholarship Opportunity For Seniors

HSBN Senior Essay Scholarship Competition

HSBN has been working at the forefront of making sure opportunities are given to seniors who have had their seasons, and possibly high school careers, cut short due to the Coronavirus.

The first plan of action was to create an HSBN Senior Week, where all seniors would have the opportunity to play one final game with their senior teammates, and that plan is coming along, with details coming soon.

Now, thanks to some of the HSBN partners, we have created another exciting opportunity. Without games to report on, HSBN is opening up the websites for seniors and coaches to tell their stories.

HSBN is calling all seniors to submit a 500 to 1000 word essay, detailing their feelings, and thought process since the shutdown. All submitted essays will be posted as articles on the HSBN site corresponding with the county the player is in.

So it is this simple seniors, write a 500 to 1000 word essay on your thoughts, feelings, situations, anything relating to the current situation as it relates to you and your teammates and family, and enter to win a $1,000 scholarship.

“We just feel at this time that we have to do whatever we possibly can to help these seniors and their families,” said HSBN Vice-President Anthony Uttariello. “We all played baseball, and I couldn’t imagine having to go through losing my senior season. So day after day we are brainstorming and coming up with ways to lift the spirits of these seniors. Having our partners step up and help at a time when their businesses are struggling, just shows the compassion and togetherness in our South Florida baseball community.”

HSBN has partnered with Bofshever Chiropractic, and Cloverleaf Insurance Brokers, to create the two $1,000 scholarships.

“I am so glad to be given any opportunity to help these seniors at a time when they are going through this difficult time,” said Dr. Gary Bofshever. “Baseball has been such a huge part of my life, and to think future opportunities at scholarships are being taken away from these seniors, I just wanted to help in any way possible.”

In addition to the two scholarships, HSBN has partnered with Stallone’s Italian Kitchen in Boca, and Wings Plus in Coral Springs, to offer a county prize, a free senior team dinner to the top finishers in each county (Palm Beach, Broward, Miami). The winner, along with his senior teammates, will enjoy a free dinner at the restaurants. An undisclosed restaurant in Miami will also be included.

“As a former high school coach always preaching to my players to always play every game as your last, who would have guessed that this season would possibly end like this,” said Bobby Stallone. “My heart goes out to all the seniors around the country. Not that a free dinner is a substitute for playing the best sport in the world, but we felt it was the least we could do to help out.”

Bridget Walsh-DeVita, manager at Wings Plus agreed.

“Wings Plus is honored to be asked to be apart of this amazing project. I understand the heartache that these seniors are going through, and we wish all the seniors the best of luck.”

Nobody understood what the seniors are going through more than Paul Barrios, manager at Dr. Krop, and owner of Cloverleaf Insurance. That is why when the opportunity to help out arose, Barrios jumped at the chance.

“As a small business owner and baseball coach, I recognize it has been an extremely challenging time for everyone, and especially our senior high school student-athletes,” said Barrios. “We are facing uncertainty, loss, and adjustments. Their milestones have been postponed, but they haven’t been. That is why helping out with this essay competition and scholarship was a no-brainer.”

The details and rules of the competition can be found at the page above, and all entries will be published by the HSBN staff.

HSBN Senior Essay Scholarship Competition

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