USAW Youth Coach Scholarships

USA Weightlifting, in partnership with the Susan Crown Foundation’s Million Coaches Challenge, is working to expand the number of quality, trained coaches who work primarily with youth in underserved communities. Youth coaches play a critical role in the lives of young people and recruitment and retention of coaches working with underserved youth is the central aim of this initiative.

USA Weightlifting is able to offer a limited number of tuition scholarships to qualified youth coaches to attend an online or in-person Level 1 Coach Certification course. The scholarship covers the tuition cost of the certification as well as one year of USAW membership. Any travel-related or non-tuition expenses are not covered. Please click here if you would like to make a contribution to the USAW Youth Coach Scholarship fund.

USA Weightlifting invites applications for the scholarship, which is focused on coaches with less than 5 years of experience who are from underrepresented groups in coaching and who are actively working with or plan to begin working with youth in underserved communities.

In addition to completing the USAW Level 1 course, coaches must complete the online USAW Coaching Fundamentals courses by Dec. 31, 2024, which are designed to help support youth coaches build their skills in helping athletes excel on and off the field.

Availability

Tuition scholarships are available fon an ongoing basis throughout 2024. Once the scholarship is at capacity, an update will be posted online. No more than three scholarships will be awarded from the same organization/club/program to ensure broad distribution of opportunity.

Selection Criteria

Minimum Requirements

• Applicants must meet all requirements, deadlines, and complete the application.
• Applicants must currently work with underserved populations in a weightlifting or strength training capacity

Preferred

• Applicants with less than 5 years of coaching experience who are working with or plan to work with youth in underserved communities.
• Applicants who can demonstrate a commitment to working with youth in a sport capacity, especially in weightlifting or strength training.
• Applicants with high levels of social impact on youth and their communities through sport.
• Applicants with experience in the sport of weightlifting as an athlete or as a coach and/or who are currently affiliated with an active USAW club.

Eligibility

Recipients must be US citizens, at least 17 years old, and coach underserved youth.

To Apply

Please complete THIS APPLICATION FORM