Fuel the Schoonover Scholarship for Girls Track at Rogers

Hey all,

June 2024 will mark the 3rd year we award The Robert A. Schoonover Girls Track & Field Scholarship, a $1,000 open scholarship, to a female student-athlete who has participated in Track & Field at Rogers High School in Newport, RI where my Dad coached for over 15 years & where I graduated from. Each year, after consulting with administrators & coaches, we strive to select a student-athlete whose character, kindness, & determination outshine all else.

Dad was the type of coach who believed that practice makes improvement, he meticulously charted PRs for all his athletes. I found over 20 four-inch, 3-ring binders to prove it, celebrating even the smallest gains, but more importantly highlighting the importance of teamwork & tenacity. Most Track & Field events are individual in nature, so finding ways to unite the team while encouraging personal excellence was always front of mind. Whether it was runs along the seaside that ended at a local favorite ice cream spot, Frosty Freeze, or challenging the girls to try to beat him in a 200 meter sprint to wrap practice early- fun & camaraderie were central in his steady coaching style.

A retired Naval Flight Officer who transitioned seamlessly into being a stay-at-home parent while Mom finished her own career in the Navy, Dad was endlessly patient, creative, gentle, & humble about his own accomplishments, which included a running career in which he set numerous high school & college records at his schools in California. Most of his student-athletes never knew he ran just over a 4-minute mile & qualified for the Olympics before an Achilles injury abruptly ended his collegiate running. Dad loved writing, artistic ventures, reading, spending time with family, including carrying on his tradition of attending every athletic or school performance his beloved granddaughter, my daughter, Maeve had, volunteering at almost every cross country meet she ran. Dad is the reason for much of what I love most in myself & the inspiration for my own coaching. Losing him suddenly to an aggressive recurrence of a cancer he’d beaten 15 years prior, attributed to his service in Vietnam & exposure to agent orange while flying, was devastating- but continuing to support the sport he loved most & local school community is the best way we can think to memorialize him & honor his lasting impact there.

Please consider a donation of any size to help us carry on his legacy of dedication & service to the athletic community at Rogers High School.

With gratitude,

The Schoonover & McHugh families