Steve Hauptman Memorial Scholarship Program
In 2017, Central Loudoun Basketball League established the Steve Hauptman Memorial Scholarship Program to support the further educational endeavors of CLBL alumni who had demonstrated how the sport of basketball had had a positive impact on their lives.
The Story of Steve Hauptman
Steve Hauptman, in whose memory the scholarship program was established, was an active member of the Leesburg community and founder of CLBL's High School House League. Steve, often referred to as “Big Steve” or “The Commissioner”, was a fixture in the Leesburg community since moving to the area in December of 1998 with his wife, Kim, and two sons Ryan and James.
Steve always took an active role in his children’s lives, often organizing neighborhood games (wiffleball, basketball, touch football, and so forth) with his sons and any of the neighborhood kids he could get to join. Steve enjoyed seeing the kids compete, but also seeing the joy and friendships developed and lessons learned while these games were played.
Steve coached over 16 seasons of recreational basketball. His players often wanted to return to his teams, not because they were always winning championships (those were few and far between), but because of the welcoming environment he created with his teams each year. Steve focused on building teams from all walks of life. As his oldest son approached high school, he realized there were no recreational basketball options available for Leesburg's high schoolers, and used that as the springboard to establish CLBL's high school house league, which has experienced enormous growth since its inception.
Steve’s impact often extended off the court for his players. He took an active role with many of his players that faced adversity at home or at school. He served as a mentor to some, and so much more than that for others. Steve was also a supporter of Loudoun Hunger Relief, establishing the annual Leesburg Freeze Your Gizzard 5k race in support of the fund.
Selection Criteria and Submission Details for the Hauptman Memorial Scholarship
(2024 - 2025)
All scholarship applications must be submitted by midnight on Friday, January 24, 2025
Mandatory Needs
- Google Account (To login and submit/edit your application)
- Submitted documents MUST be in PDF, and will be uploaded
Eligibility
- Applicant must be a high school senior graduating in 2025.
- Applicant must be enrolling in a 2-year or 4-year accredited institution of higher learning in Fall of 2025 (the scholarship funds will be distributed DIRECTLY to the institution).
- Applicant must be a CLBL Alumnus (played on a CLBL team - house or travel - at any time between their 1st and 12th grades). You will be asked what years you participated.
Submission Items
- Applicant will provide complete contact information. Please use a personal email address, not your school email address.
- Applicant must submit documentation / evidence of community service (e.g. letters from the benefiting group, an award for the service, etc.)
- Letter(s) of Recommendation (LoR) Note: For any LoR, in the application, you will be asked to identify who will be sending it to CLBL. Please provide the LoR Form from our website to your Recommender, and ask them to send it (in pdf format) to scholarship-admin@clbl.org. They should include your name in the Subject line.
- Applicant will secure one or more letters of recommendation from appropriate parties (high school teachers, counselors, community service organization leaders, etc.),
- Applicant should secure a letter of recommendation from one of your CLBL coaches (head or assistant); this is optional, but HIGHLY recommended.
- Applicant will submit a letter explaining how CLBL and the sport of basketball has had a positive impact on your life. This letter should also include why you feels you should be honored with the Steve Hauptman Memorial Scholarship, based on what you know of his life and achievements (as detailed on the CLBL website).
| Graduation Year | Scholarship Recipient | High School | College / University |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jonathan Haslet | Loudoun County HS | James Madison University |
| 2021 | Joey Vieyra | Loudoun County HS | University of Michigan |
| 2020 | Meghan Kirk | Loudoun County HS | The College of William & Mary |
| 2020 | Ethan Scott | Heritage HS | Brigham Young University |
| 2019 | Kishan Balaji | Loudoun County HS | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |