Enterprising Sports Media Content Creator From Vernon Gets Scholarship

VERNON, CT — An enterprising young sports media content producer from Vernon has been selected to receive a $3,000 scholarship to continue his pursuit in college.

Kyle Clark, a senior at Rockville High School, will be the recipient of the Bo Kolinsky Memorial Sports Media Scholarship from the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance (CSMA). He and other award winners will be feted at the prestigious 83rd Gold Key Dinner in October.

"Kyle has worked hard to become a respected young sports media content creator - photography and videography," scholarship committee chair John Holt said.

Clark's biggest project to date is a 4-part video docu-series, "Rockville Football - Restoring the Rock," chronicling the resurgence of the Ram gridiron program. His work includes national travel and paid opportunities with the Albany City Rocks AAU program. He has covered several CIAC state championship events, including basketball at Mohegan Sun Arena and football at Rentschler Field.

"My content has generated hundreds of thousands of likes and millions of views, helping me sharpen my skills and grow my network in the industry," the UConn-bound Clark said. "Covering CIAC state championship events are experiences that gave me a real glimpse into the world of professional sports media. Despite my young age, I’ve had the chance to work alongside experienced journalists, reporters and content creators, learning valuable lessons along the way. As I begin my next chapter at the University of Connecticut, my goal is to continue telling compelling stories, spotlight underrepresented athletes and contribute meaningfully to the local sports media scene. Through hard work, creativity and dedication, I hope to build a lasting career in sports media."

Gold Key recipients for 2025 are former Masuk High School and Louisiana State University softball pitcher Rachele Fico, former Stratford High School football star and Super Bowl champion Nick Giaquinto, longtime Yale University men’s basketball coach James Jones, World Series champion pitching coach Dave Wallace and NCAA, WNBA and Olympic basketball champion Kara Wolters.

Previously-announced award winners are Peter King, longtime senior NFL writer for Sports Illustrated (President’s Award), Dolores Sawchuk of Colchester (Bo Kolinsky Special Recognition Award) and Wayne Norman of WILI radio (Bob Barton Excellence In Media Award). More honorees will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the Gold Key Dinner are $80, and are available by contacting CSMA president Tim Jensen of Patch Media Corp. at 860-394-5091 or tim.jensen@patch.com. Proceeds support the Bo Kolinsky Memorial Sports Media Scholarship.