The Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award at SBART

To recognize athletic excellence in the local community, the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table (SBART) gives out a number of awards. Among these is the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award, which honors student athletes who have demonstrated a strong commitment to sportsmanship and an understanding of ethics. By giving this award to student athletes in Santa Barbara, SBART aims to promote positive conduct both on and off the field and to encourage athletes to work on their character and attitude as much as their athletic prowess.

The coaching staff and athletic directors at each high school choose award recipients from among students in their junior year. Some of the criteria for receiving the award include having respect for teammates and opponents alike, demonstrating an honest and optimistic attitude, placing others before themselves, and putting the well-being of the team in front of personal interests.

Phil Womble, the award’s namesake, is a local author and sports historian who struggles with cerebral palsy. Despite this major challenge, he has used sports as a means of creating fellowship within the community.                            

Support Santa Barbara Students with Annual and Endowed Funds

The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara helps high school students in Santa Barbara County, California, realize their dreams of higher education by connecting them to annual scholarship opportunities. The average scholarship offered by the organization is $2,500, which represents the starting donation for creating an annual scholarship fund.

At present, the foundation administers annual scholarship funds on behalf of families, businesses, individuals, nonprofits, and civic groups. Donors have the option to renew their gift annually and can establish specific selection criteria to fund students interested in a particular academic field or in a certain demographic. The foundation charges no administrative fees, so 100 percent of donated funds go directly to students.

Gifts of $50,000 or more can establish an endowed scholarship fund, meaning the foundation will invest the principal and use returns to fund scholarships in perpetuity. Donors designate names for their funds and receive written profiles about each of the students the funds support. In addition, scholarship recipients send thank-you notes throughout the year with updates on their studies.