Awards Overview
The Vincent J. Dooley Awards and Scholarships
The Vincent J. Dooley Award and Scholarship is presented annually by Athletes for a Better World and the Georgia High School Association. Each year, every high school in Georgia is invited to select one male and one female senior athlete to receive the Dooley Award. The award recipients are chosen for their distinguished individual character, outstanding teamwork, and citizenship.
The award recipients who choose to compete for the scholarship complete an online process and are reviewed by a selection committee, who choose 10 boys and 10 girls as Finalists for the Dooley Scholarship. The Dooley Scholarship is then presented to one male and one female athlete.
The purpose of the awards and scholarships is to call attention to the high esteem in which the values of hard work, sportsmanship, and community service are held, so that they may become a stronger part of the ethos of participation in Georgia high school sports.
The Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup
John Wooden is perhaps the greatest coach and the most admired role model in the history of collegiate sports. In 2004, he gave Athletes for a Better World permission to use his name for an annual award. The Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is presented to six distinguished athletes – one male and one female high school, one male and one female collegiate, and one male and one female professional – who have made the greatest difference in the lives of others. The recipients are athletes of excellence both on and off the field, role models both as performers and persons. It is unique because it is open to all athletes in all sports.
Since 2016, ABW and The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) have formed a partnership to recognize a male and female student-athlete as national scholarship winners and recipients of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup high school division. The NIAAA’s competition includes an essay portion which asks the applicants to contemplate how the ABW Code for Living has been reflected in their life experiences.