NEEDHAM, Mass. -- With the mission of encouraging young women to be leaders on and off the field, Direct Federal Credit Union has expanded its "Young Women Leaders of Tomorrow" program to include 31 area high schools and $93,000 in scholarships.

The 2007-2008 program will recognize nearly 100 female athletes who participate in field hockey, basketball, ice hockey and softball for their leadership on and off the field, according to the $740 million Direct Federal. The program's advisory board reads like a who's who among female athletes including basketball's Rebecca Lobo and Sarah Behn, ice hockey's Cammi Granato, field hockey's Dina Rizzo and Megan Donnelly and baseball/softball's Mary Pratt and Danielle Henderson.

"These young female athletes deserve to be recognized for their athletic and academic accomplishments," Lobo said. I wish a program like this had existed when I was starting out."

Direct Federal's marketing department, headed by Jean Geiwitz, senior vice president of marketing, developed this community service program in 2006.

"It's not just another scholarship program," Geiwitz said. "We're encouraging and rewarding academic and athletic excellence because we believe to achieve both requires discipline, commitment and teamwork."