BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Colorado Mesa University men’s collegiate club team was recently awarded a 2026 Dr. Richard F. “Doc” Hunkler Grant.
The grant will be used to help build a sustainable collegiate water polo program in western Colorado by investing in long-term competition infrastructure and athlete development. The purpose of CMU’s project is to purchase permanent competition and training equipment that will strengthen athlete development while enhancing Colorado Mesa University’s ability to host high-quality collegiate water polo competitions via durable equipment that will benefit the program and the broader collegiate water polo community for years to come.
The primary focus of the project is completing the remaining equipment needed to provide a fully marked regulation competition course. Lane-line markers, competition cones, and updated six-meter lane-line markers create a clearer and more consistent field of play for athletes, coaches, officials and spectators to enhance game management, improve athlete awareness during competition and allow matches to be conducted in accordance with current collegiate water polo standards.
Further, the grant will be used to to purchase weighted training belts and a water polo rebounder for the Colorado Mesa team to develop leg strength, endurance, passing accuracy and shooting mechanics during organized practices and through independent training.
Created and administered by the alumni of the Slippery Rock University men’s and women’s water polo teams, the grant program is named in honor of their longtime coach and Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) founding father Richard F. “Doc” Hunkler.
The mission of the program is to further enhance Dr. Hunkler’s coaching legacy by supporting those who compete in the sport he devoted his life to and truly cherished. This grant is designed to provide financial assistance to members of the CWPA varsity and/or club leagues to excel in the competition arena.
Grant recipients must compete at institutions that are active members of the CWPA Water Polo Association. A school (“recipient”) can only receive one “Richard F. “Doc” Hunkler Water Polo Grant Program” award each calendar year.
Award recipients are determined by the grant selection committee which reviews proposals and the selection of recipients. The Hunkler Grant initiative is funded by donations directly in the name of Richard F. “Doc” Hunkler Grant Program to the CWPA which is a 501 c 3.
Recipients claim one year of grant funding from the “Doc” Hunkler Grant Program for support. Grants range from $500 to $5,000 per academic year with funding limited to the following: Travel costs, tournament fees, equipment needs, food, uniforms and assistant coaches.
With competitions for men’s and women’s teams occurring at different times of the year, the grant provides two opportunities to receive funding at the following times with application deadlines established for January 1 and August 1.
Proposal materials for potential grants must be successfully submitted prior to the deadline via email to office@collegiatewaterpolo.org and must include the following – but not limited to:
- Brief description of the proposal
- Team, Club and gender
- Purpose and key anticipated outcomes
- Individuals or team being served
- Amount of funding requested
- Overview of how funds will be spent
- Timeline
- Primary grant contact information
- A detailed budget for the season and how this grant works with your budget
- An explanation of why you are pursuing this grant and how it will benefit your team
- A description of how the grant’s success will be evaluated
- Please provide your team/club mission or vision statement
A selection committee is responsible for the review of proposals and selection of grant recipients. Committee members include four alumni from Slippery Rock University who played water polo for Dr. Hunkler and three members of the immediate Hunkler family. The four alumni spots are awarded based on a rotation schedule and opened for other SRU alumni wanting to serve.
