Contact: Brent Minor
(703) 861-8135

LGBTQ SPORTS ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIPS
FOR LOCAL LGBTQ STUDENT-ATHLETES

WASHINGTON, DC, March 18, 2019 — Team DC, the Association of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) sports clubs in the greater Washington region, announced that six individuals were named the recipients of the 2019 Team DC Student-Athlete Scholarship Program.

“We had the largest number of applicants this year which made it extremely difficult to select the recipients. This year’s recipients come from across the region and represented a large spectrum of experiences. The courage and maturity shown by these young people is truly amazing,” said Scott J. Miller, Chair of the Team DC Student-athlete Scholarship Committee.

Team DC Student-Athlete Scholarships are given annually to openly LGBTQ student-athletes from the greater Washington, DC region. Miller added, “Since the scholarship program was created in 2008, our goal has been not only to support openly out student-athletes but to also educate and foster discussions with coaches and other school administrators about the challenges facing LGBTQ athletes.”

This year’s scholarship recipients (with their high school and their expected college if known) include:

• Ella Gantman, Woodrow Wilson High School, Washington, DC
• Freedom Morant, Friendly High School, Fort Washington, MD (Frostburg State University)
• Jackson Newman, George C. Marshall High School, Falls Church, VA
• Camden Roberts, Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, MD
• Kayla Savage, Bell Multicultural High School, Washington, DC (Johnson & Wales University)
• Sophia, Washington, DC (name and school withheld for confidentiality)

Team DC President Tommy Rossman added, “The message a program like this sends to a young gay or lesbian high school student could have a huge impact on their life.  We are proud to support efforts like the Team DC College Scholarship program that make sports a safer and more welcoming environment for all competitors.”

This year’s Scholarships will be awarded at the annual “Night of Champions Awards Dinner” on April 13, 2019. Special guests include Hall of Fame Broadcaster Bill Roth and Liz Hall, the long-time Athletic Director at the Maret School in Washington, DC. In addition, Champions Awards will be given to local LGBTQ sports leaders chosen from the 40 member clubs of Team DC.

Team DC has now awarded 65 scholarships over the past eleven years totaling $78,000. Applications for the 2019 Scholarship Program will be accepted starting in the fall of 2019.

More about Team DC, including information about how to apply for a scholarship, can be found at www.teamdc.org.

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Team DC is a 501c3 non-profit organization that serves as the association for the Washington metropolitan area’s LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) sport clubs.  Their mission is to make sports a more welcoming and safe environment for LGBT participants through college scholarships and other activities that educate the community about the value of participation in sports for good mental and physical health.  To learn more, go to www.teamdc.org.