Nearly 30 Bay of Plenty sports people, from a variety of different sporting codes, are the recipients of the first round of BayTrust Athlete, Coach and Official scholarships for 2018.

The BayTrust Scholarships are funded from contributions to Sport Bay of Plenty's CoachForce programme.

The aim is to support and assist Bay of Plenty sporting talent to achieve on the international stage and allows coaches and officials to develop new skills that can benefit the sporting community.

Of the 50 applications received, 21 athletes, seven coaches and one official were selected for scholarships, and Sport Bay of Plenty Community Coaching Advisor Shan Jensen-Loach says the team are 'really pleased” with the number of applications – particularly with the inclusion of officials for the first time this year.

Recipients include 2017 Bay of Plenty Sports Award winner Hayden Wilde (triathlon) and 2016 winner Elin Tawharu (surfing), as well as 2017 finalists Bae Fountain (water polo), Phoenix Paniora (volleyball) and Damian Torwick (canoe slalom).

Central Bay of Plenty is represented by athletes such as Riley Martin (cross-fit), Kyra Mita (waka ama/white water rafting) and Sam Munday (rock climbing), while Eastern Bay of Plenty recipients include Tayla Hudson (touch rugby) and Hayley Mackey (judo).

Official Joanne Miller (surf lifesaving) is the inaugural Officials Scholarship recipient, while judo, golf, squash and taekwondo are represented in the Coach Scholarships.

When it comes to the selection process, meeting the criteria is a crucial first step, says Shan.

Shan adds many of the applicants who were declined this round were not for a lack of skill or talent, but because they did not meet the eligibility criteria firstly.

At its simplest, Athlete Scholarship applications are open to any young athlete from the Bay of Plenty aged 16-23 years, who has achieved national representation at their sport, to compete internationally, and reside permanently in the Bay of Plenty Region.

The Coach and Official Scholarships are for coaches and officials currently coaching and officiating at a recognised and endorsed level, reside in the Bay of Plenty region and that the development opportunity should have a significant impact on their respective sporting communities.

Full details around scholarship applications for the second round for 2018 will become available on the Sport Bay of Plenty website (www.sportbop.co.nz) from September.

BayTrust Athlete Scholarships

Alice Bain (Bethlehem) – Beach Volleyball

After two seasons as New Zealand Beach Volleyball Tour Champions with Julia Tilley, Alice is heading off on an Asian Tour representing New Zealand, followed by the World Beach Volleyball University Games in Germany.

Patrick Baylis (Rotorua) – Swimming

Paddy has been selected for the NZ Open Swim Team to attend the Oceania Champs in Papua New Guinea this June, and is also training hard to qualify for the Junior Pan Pacifics the following month. Due to his talents in and out of the pool, Paddy was recruited, and obtained a scholarship, to attend Pomona College in the USA. He will start his Liberal Arts Degree there in September 2018, while continuing to train hard to make the 2020 Olympics.

Charlie Bell (Te Puna) – Canoe Slalom

After attending the Australian Open and Oceania Champs as part of the C1 U18 Men's NZ Canoe Slalom Development Squad, Charlie has been selected to represent NZ at the ICF Canoe Slalom Junior World Champs in Italy this July. He is excited to join the New Zealand contingent, and in the future wants to progress from the juniors to U23s and onto the Olympics in 2024.

David Boles (Rotorua) – Swimming

David, a Year 13 John Paul College Student, has had an impressive swim season. As the Swimming New Zealand (SNZ) Open Water Champ for his age group in the 5km and 10km events, and a bronze medallist in two events at the SNZ National Champs, David will be representing his country at the Oceania Open Water Champs in Papua New Guinea this June.

Jack Dangen (Te Puna) – Canoe Slalom

After leaving canoe slalom to work in Auckland, Jack has returned to the Bay of Plenty and paddling K1 with a passion. With placings at the Oceania Champs this year and first senior man at the NZ selections, Jack and the NZ Canoe Slalom K1 team will be racing at the Senior World Cup, which is held across four months in different parts of Europe. And, in the middle of this gruelling schedule, he will attend the U23 World Championships held in Italy.

Bae Fountain (Papamoa) – Water Polo

Bae has been training with both NZ Men's and NZ Youth Men's Water Polo teams and is currently awaiting confirmation of his selection in the NZ Men's Water Polo team to attend the Commonwealth Championship in Malta in September and, selection in the NZ Youth Men's Water Polo team to attend the FINA Worlds in Hungary in August.

Lachlan Haycock (Tauranga) – Triathlon

Lachlan's accolades are extensive within a number of sports, including athletics, duathlon, triathlon, multisport cycling and mountain biking to name a few. He will be able to utilise all these skills when he races for NZ at the ITU World Championships 15 - 19 age group in Australia in September.

Tayla Hudson (Kawerau) – Touch Rugby

At Nationals as a Bay of Plenty U18 Mixed Touch Representative, Tayla was identified and invited to trial for the Touch NZ U18 Youth World Cup team. If successful, she will travel to Kuala Lumpur with the NZ team in August. She is also known for her talents on the netball and volleyball courts, being a Trident High School Senior Team member of the winning 2017 A Grade National Secondary School Volleyball team and 2017 Eastern Bay of Plenty U17 Netball Representative.

Hayley Mackey (Whakatane) – Judo

Hayley is currently competing at the Oceania Judo Championship in New Caledonia and awaiting confirmation of her qualification to attend the Junior Olympics in Argentina in October. Her Judo CV is impressive for a 16-year-old including Waikato Bay of Plenty Junior Champ, NZ National Champ and Oceania Champ for her cadet weight class.

Riley Martin (Rotorua) – Crossfit

Crossfit runs in the family, with Riley (16) following his brother Bayley to attend the 2018 Reebok Crossfit World games in Wisconsin, USA. Riley has been selected after a five-week worldwide competition to compete in the 16 - 17 year age group and is building towards his 2019 dream to obtain the Fittest Teen title.

Kyra Mita (Rotorua) – Waka Ama / White Water Rafting

With a number of impressive performances in the waka at NZ Sprint Nationals, Kyra qualified to represent NZ at the IVF World Champs in Tahiti in June. Her ongoing performances not only impressed selectors for Waka Ama, but she was selected to join the U23 Okere Women's White Water Rafting team to paddle at the World Champs in Argentina in November.

Sam Munday (Rotorua) – Sport Climbing

It appears that even a fear of heights couldn't stop this climber from pursuing his dreams. Sam is representing NZ in China in Open Bouldering / Open Speed May 2018 and has just qualified for the World Youth Climbing Championships in Russia in August. He is passionate about his sport, and accredits his success to an amazing coach and mentor.

Phoenix Paniora (Kawerau) – Volleyball

This young Eastern Bay of Plenty talent with a ‘never give up attitude' has many achievements in sport and school, being named Trident High School's 2017 Senior Girls MVP and Sports Women of the Year, obtaining her NCEA Level 1 and 2, and representing Bay of Plenty and NZ in volleyball.

Phoenix is currently awaiting confirmed selection in the NZ U19 Junior Women's Volleyball team to compete in Vietnam in July.

Briana Perry (Pyes Pa) – Indoor Cricket

Briana plays cricket and hockey, but her international debut for NZ awaits her this year with selection being sought for the Indoor Cricket NZ Under 17 Girls' to attend the Junior Indoor Cricket World Cup being hosted by New Zealand in Christchurch in September. Briana looks forward to a future of cricket, playing at a domestic senior level and the White Ferns one day.

Caelan Potts (Matua) – Tennis

As the Otumoetai Tennis Club Senior Men's Champ, the Tauranga Boys' College School Champ two years running, the TBC Super 8 Schools tennis Champ and the NZ Mixed Doubles U16's Champ, Caelan is excited about his first Junior ITF tournament in New Caledonia this year. He is part of the Tennis NZ Youth team competing there in June.

Mia Pugh (Welcome Bay) – Open Water Swimming

Mia has been selected for the NZ National Swim team to compete at the Oceania Swimming Champs to be held in Papua New Guinea in June. Though she began swimming in a pool, she prefers the open water, allowing her to ‘go and go', which is evidenced by her first placings in a number of 5km events for her age group and open women swims. Her goals for the future are to further her international racing experience and obtain the NZ 10km Open Swim title.

Sarah Stratton (Bethlehem) – Volleyball

Having only started volleyball two years ago, Sarah is very excited to have made the NZ Women's Youth team to compete at the Asian Champs in Thailand in May. As the Bay of Plenty High Jump champion for the past five years, you can envisage what skills she brings to the volleyball and netball court. If not playing sport, Sarah is also a zone qualified netball umpire and Year 12 student at Bethlehem College balancing NCEA studies.

Elin Tawharu (Mount Maunganui) - Surfing

Elin, a 17-year-old Mount Maunganui College student, continues to achieve on the national and international surfing circuit, having recently won the NZ U18 Girls' National Surfing Championship title and placing third in the Open Women's National Competition.

She is currently awaiting confirmation of her selection in the NZ Junior Surfing Team to attend the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship and the NZ Open Surfing Team to attend the ISA World Surfing Championship in Japan, both events this year.

Glenn Templeton (Katikati) – Squash

To date, Glenn has had success in squash playing for his school, his club, for the Bay of Plenty region and for New Zealand. This has seen him in contention to be selected for the New Zealand Secondary School team to compete against Australia in a Tri Series in August, and for the NZ Squash Team to compete at the World Junior Championship in India in July.

Damian Torwick (Tauriko) – Canoe Slalom

Not only a Year 13 Academic Captain at Tauranga Boys' College, Damian is again representing NZ in the Canoe Slalom Junior team to compete at the Canoe Slalom Junior World Championships being held in Italy. After an impressive 2017 season, he continue to paddle strongly in the K1 class.

Hayden Wilde (Whakatane) - Triathlon

Hayden was publicly voted The Hits People's Choice Award, ahead of the 2017 Bay of Plenty Sports Awards, where he then won the coveted 2017 Vodafone Junior Sportsman of the Year Award. His continued success in Triathlon sees him represent NZ at the Oceania Championships in Melbourne this year, then on to compete at the Triathlon World Cup in China the month following.

BayTrust Coach and Officials Scholarships

The following coaches and official working within judo, taekwondo, squash, golf and surf lifesaving have received scholarships to support their ongoing development.

From obtaining formal qualifications, attending workshops and upskilling themselves with mentoring opportunities, they will be able to make a significant impact on their respective sporting communities.

Coach Ashleigh Dunston, Welcome Bay

Coach Christine Young, Tauranga

Coach Jay Carter, Greerton

Official Joanne Miller, Papamoa

Coach Kim Kingsley, Mount Maunganui

Coach Michael Dunston, Welcome Bay

Coach Neisha Brooking, Whakatane

Coach Nicholas Davey, Papamoa