NFHCA announces new Redwood Grant to support field hockey entrepreneurs
BROCKPORT, N.Y. — The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) is excited to announce the creation of the Redwood Grant, a program designed to support burgeoning field hockey coach-entrepreneurs. The grant was created through the work of the Sport Development Committee and was inspired by the powerful support system that exists within the field hockey community.
“Redwood forests are remarkably tall and resilient because of their wide and interconnected root system — similarly, the Redwood Grant’s mission is to support our remarkable community through meaningful connection,” noted Chrissy Lewis Summers, the NFHCA Vice President of Sport Development. “The grant was thoughtfully designed to not only give recipients funding to get their idea off of the ground, but to also provide them with structured mentorship and a community of support to help them see their idea through.”
The Redwood Grant will annually award $2,000 – $3,000 to selected applicants. Throughout the year of funding, grant recipients will be assigned a personal mentor, will participate in quarterly meetings with guest speakers, and will receive the support of the Sport Development Committee.
“It is my sincere hope that this grant will provide the push, or the encouragement, that someone may need to make their idea become reality,” added Summers. “I’m also hopeful that this grant will create a platform for members of our community to become mentors and benefactors to an ambitious field hockey entrepreneur. We grow the game by lifting one another up, and I believe the Redwood Grant will do just that.”
Donations to support the Redwood Grant are currently being collected. The Redwood Grant will be powered entirely by the generosity of donors.
Applications for the Redwood Grant will open on April 1 — applicants will be asked to provide information about their proposed business idea or initiative and the needs that it will be addressing within the field hockey community.
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) is a nonprofit organization serving field hockey coaches and supporters of the game from across the United States. The mission of the organization is to stimulate the professional development of coaching leadership within the sport of field hockey. The NFHCA strives to cultivate and recognize the professional contributions of its membership and to foster and promote the growth of the sport. The NFHCA is responsible for providing a recognizable presence and voice in regard to legislation affecting the sport as well as interscholastic and intercollegiate programs.