Referee and Umpire Leadership Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Ben Glass Law
Overview
BenGlassLaw offers the Referee and Umpire Leadership Scholarship to recognize students who developed leadership skills through officiating youth sports. The award is intended for students who demonstrate how refereeing or umpiring shaped their leadership, character, and future plans. The scholarship reflects the firm's emphasis on practical leadership experience gained on the field. Applications are due by December 15, 2026.
Description: A merit-based scholarship celebrating leadership gained through refereeing or umpiring youth sports.
Award Value: $2,500.
Application Timeline: Deadline to apply is December 15, 2026.
- Named the Referee and Umpire Leadership Scholarship by BenGlassLaw.
- Awards $2,500 to one qualifying student.
- Application deadline: December 15, 2026.
Application Requirements
Applicants must be enrolled at a U.S. high school, college, university, trade school, or graduate program and must meet the scholarship’s stated terms and conditions. Candidates should have prior experience working as a referee or umpire before attending their listed educational institution. Applications require submission of personal and academic information and acceptance of any release forms necessary to receive funds. The selection committee recommends reviewing all eligibility and submission criteria carefully before finalizing an application.
Eligibility: Enrollment at an accredited U.S. educational institution and prior officiating experience.
Submission: Complete required application fields, agree to terms, and provide an original essay on the scholarship topic.
- Confirm enrollment and prior referee/umpire experience before applying.
- Provide personal and academic information as requested.
- Agree to terms and any required releases prior to fund disbursement.
Scholarship Essay Topic
The scholarship requires a focused essay that explains how officiating youth sports developed the applicant’s leadership abilities and how those skills will guide future decisions. Ben Glass, the firm’s founder, authored a guide for young officials and frames this scholarship around the same leadership principles. The required essay must be original and reflect the applicant’s personal experience and growth as an official. Essays generated by AI or other automated tools will be disqualified.
Essay Prompt: “How has being a youth sports official helped shape you into a leader, and how will those leadership skills guide you in the future?”
Word Count: 500–750 words.
- Essay must be original and reflect personal leadership experiences from officiating.
- Prompt asks how officiating shaped leadership and future application of those skills.
- 500–750 words; AI-generated essays are prohibited and will result in disqualification.
What to Include in the Scholarship Essay
Essays should be specific, honest, and structured to illustrate leadership development through officiating. Applicants are asked to introduce themselves and the sport(s) they officiate, describe a specific leadership moment, reflect on skills gained, and offer advice to younger officials. The selection committee values concrete examples, clear reflection, and evidence of growth rather than generic statements. Submissions that reuse essays across multiple scholarships or years risk ineligibility.
Required content: Introduction to the applicant and sport(s); a specific leadership example; reflection on skills developed; and advice for younger officials.
Standards: Detailed, thoughtful writing that demonstrates personal growth; no AI-generated content.
- Include a clear introduction and a detailed leadership anecdote.
- Reflect on transferable skills (confidence, communication, resilience, etc.).
- Provide practical advice for younger referees or umpires.
Eligibility
Applicants must meet residency and enrollment criteria and be in good academic standing. Required qualifications include U.S. residency, current enrollment at a high school or higher education institution, prior officiating experience, and submission of an original essay. Certain individuals are explicitly ineligible, including employees or children of employees of BenGlassLaw and past scholarship recipients. Additional disqualifying conditions include refusal to be interviewed if selected, reuse of the same essay across applications or years, or refusal to sign release forms permitting use of name, image, and the essay in marketing materials.
Eligibility criteria: U.S. residency, enrollment at a qualifying school, prior referee/umpire experience, and good academic standing.
Ineligible: Employees or children of employees of BenGlassLaw, previous recipients, applicants unwilling to be interviewed, those who reuse essays, and those unwilling to sign required releases.
- Must be a U.S. resident and enrolled at an accredited educational institution.
- Must have officiating experience and be in good academic standing.
- Certain relationships to BenGlassLaw and prior recipients are excluded from eligibility.