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BTL is stressing the importance of education, while having the ability to compete in the high school bass fishing competition across the nation, by awarding high school student anglers of the Class of 2022 scholarships based upon 75% of academic achievement in the classroom and 25% performance on the water. This Academic Scholarship is heavily weighted on the success student anglers have demonstrated in the classroom.
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High School Bass Fishing Student Athletes will be awarded $1,000 Academic Scholarships during the month of April 2022. As the dollar amount increases for this scholarship program, an Academic Scholarship will be earned by students every time a thousand dollar threshold is surpassed. In other words, if there is $5,000 available in Academic Scholarships, there will be five Academic Scholarships awarded to the student anglers high school class of 2022. So, the more you pledge, the more dollars the student anglers can earn.
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Student angler applications for the Academic Scholarships will be accepted on basszone.com beginning January 2nd, 2022. The application process will be active until January 31st, 2022. No Academic Scholarship applications will be accepted after January 31st, 2022 The Academic Scholarship form will give the student anglers an opportunity to showcase their accomplishments in the classroom and on the water during their high school years. The BTL Academic Scholarship Panel, Mark Jeffreys, Matt Pangrac and Bradley Hallman will make the final decisions on what student anglers will earn the BTL Academic Scholarships.
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BTL's Mark Jeffreys has committed $1,000 to the scholarship fund and NOW, BTL fans can pledge dollars, be it small or large dollar amounts, to the BTL Academic Scholarship program.
NOW AVAILABLE - YOU CAN MAKE A PLEDGE TODAY
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Pledges will not be payable until February 1st, 2022
Current Pledged $$$
$5,775
The List of Current Pledges
Mark Jeffreys
$1,000
Oklahoma
Ty Robbins
$100
North Carolina
Paul Marker
$1,000
Ohio
Best On Tour
$1,000
Iowa
Matt Becker
$100
Pennsylvania
David Ciarletta
$25
Ohio
Mac Carter
$50
Kentucky
Peter Long
$50
Michigan
Shawn Lai
$25
Illinois
Ron Plate
$500
Arkansas
Joel Crawford
$100
South Carolina
Jim Liechty
$100
Indiana
Steve Freed
$50
Ohio
Matthew Shutta
$25
Massachusetts
John Boggs
$25
Kansas
Kermit Parsons
$50
Missouri
Jordan Stanford
$25
Texas
Charlie Hartley
$500
Ohio
Scott Watters
$25
Indiana
Mike & Sheila
Throgmartin
$25
Texas
Eric Talley
$1,000
Texas
Comments From a BTL Fan
Michelle From Michigan
When I was at Michigan State I was part of gymnastics but, I was informed that my GPA was up to par. Regardless of skill level, every single athlete was required to have special study hall time and maintain high scores across the board. If my grades dropped, I was called in by the coach. I believe our team averaged a 3.8 GPA. This was monitored amongst all the different sports and the university. This was a vital part of being on the team. If you were not performing academically you were put on a probation. I’m not sure if the MSU bass team is the same as it did not exist when I was there but, I can tell you every sport and every athlete were held to the same standards. They even had academic advisers peak in and make sure you were attending classes.
You are doing a MAJOR service to anglers as human beings. Here is why... I shared the Breslin Center (giant academic center) built for athletes only at a Big Ten Division 1 Varsity athletics school. My brother played hockey there as well. In ANY sport I watched what happened to these athletes. Either they were drafted, injured beyond repair, or they graduated without intentional back up for a future out of sports.
I WISH someone would had emphasized this to me, a little more. Many turned to depression, drugs or sort of fell off the map. I personally went BACK to school to attend Pre-Med and advance to Med School, something I could have focused on and had paid for prior to. It is so vitally important to live in the NOW yes but, do yourself the favor and have a back up plan.
It is only a small percent that move on I don’t care how good they are.. even then they move on and their professional careers are short lived. So keeping opinions out of all of it... these again are the facts. This is just what happens.
IF.. per chance.. bass anglers are not held to the same standards as any other athlete as a college angler I would personally see it as an insult. College Anglers should take that stance if that is the case. Academics should not only be important but understood by the school and coaches and assisted with academic advisors along the way the same they did for any Division 1 athlete.
At the very least, a business degree or marketing to help aid their journey, which is a paradigm shift in itself in terms of the business end. Anglers should be offensive, not defensive, when told their education is priority. They will appreciate it when they are 13 surgeries deep, or not drafted... whatever the case may be. It’s not up for argument it’s a matter of awareness of what actually happens. “The Good Fight...”