National Wheelchair Basketball Association

2026 NWBA Timothy Nugent Academic Achievers Application

To receive recognition for your academic achievement, submit the following application by Friday, February 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central time.

The Timothy J. Nugent Academic Achievers program is for grades 5-9. The program's goal is to get kids interested in the importance of academics at an earlier age, with the ultimate goal of more students attending college and obtaining a college degree.

The NWBA Junior Division academic recognitions are in memory of our dedicated and visionary founder, Dr. Timothy J. Nugent. Dr. Nugent had the courage to start the NWBA to provide more opportunities for people with disabilities. Dr. Nugent cared way more about societal wins than court wins. Dr. Nugent realized education was the number one tool to improve a person's place in society. The Junior Division remembers Dr. Nugent by pushing the next generation of leaders toward the power of education.

All award recipients will be announced at the 2026 NWBA Junior Division Annual Ceremony & Dance at the 2026 National Junior Wheelchair Basketball Tournament.

If you have any questions please contact Emily Hoskins at emilyhoskins6@gmail.com OR Lisa Elliston at jrdprez@gmail.com. 

Must have all A’s, B’s and C’s in your last grading period to be eligible.  If you have a D or F in your last grading period, you are not eligible this year but keep working hard in school and try again next year.  

To be eligible for the recognition the student-athlete must include:  

1. High School, Middle School, or Elementary Report Card  

2. Each year, student athletes are asked to submit a project as a part of this application. This project can be a YouTube video, an essay, or whatever other creative outlet the applicant chooses. The NWBA especially encourages projects that can be shared via social media. This year the project theme is:

The NWBA recognizes that no student athlete arrives at her or his goals on their own. It takes people behind the scenes that help students reach their academic, athletic, and life goals. This year, the NWBA is asking student athletes to create a project about someone in their corner who is helping them reach those goals. It can be a coach, teacher, teammate, or any other person in the student's life that has made a meaningful impact. The project can be a video, essay, PowerPoint, or any other medium. The NWBA does place emphasis on creativity and projects that can be shared to the wheelchair basketball community online.

3. Registered member and complete 2025-2026 Junior Athlete Registration on file with the NWBA.

This included an electronic signature acknowledging the NWBA’s media agreement:  “I hereby agree to be filmed, videotaped and photographed, and to have my name, image, picture, likeness, voice and biographical information otherwise recorded, in any media by the NWBA. I hereby grant NWBA with no financial or other compensation due to me, full right and license to use, and to authorize third parties to use, in all media, the footage for: (1) news and information purposes, (2) promotion of the specific competition(s) in which I compete, (3) promotion of the Sport, and (4) promotion of the NWBA. I hereby certify that the information provided is being done directly by myself for, or if representing a minor as a legal guardian, and that it is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I also understand that the false information is ground for denial of membership.”