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They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I believe this picture below does exactly that. I could easily write a thousand words about the three A4A girls in the picture below - all three are great students with great character and dedicated to their individual sports.
These are three friends from the IB Programme at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, all headed to different schools to play their sport in college. Two of them will be headed across the country to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. One to Carnegie Mellon, the other to Duquesne University. While the third will be headed to Pomona-Pitzer in Southern California.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, Alaina Woo-Pomona-Pitzer, Basketball; Steve Britschgi-President, A4A; Lilly Nelson-Duquesne University, Swimming; Megan Bartoshuk-Carnegie Mellon University,Soccer.
This is why I started A4A and this is what makes it all worth while. The four other A4A Managers and I are extremely proud of what we have accomplished in a very short period of time. Over 100 Bay Area Athletes under our guidance with an over 90% success rate. And over 90% of our athletes are performing better in the classroom and in their sports because of our goal setting techniques. We are having fun and making a difference in the lives of the familes and student athletes that we are working with. How cool is that?
If you know any high school student athletes that are interested in pursuing their sport at the next level send them our way, they will be in great hands.
Thank you again for all your support.
All the Best,
Steve
Steve Britschgi
President
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What We Do
Advocates for Athletes (A4A) is a local, hands-on consulting and coaching business created to help educate and guide student athletes and their families through the college recruiting process, with the ultimate goal of obtaining a college athletic scholarship and/or admittance to a school of their choice because of their sport.
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Who We are Talking To:
Below is a partial list of the colleges that our athletes are either attending, committed to or are speaking with:
Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Brown, University of Penn, Bucknell, Columbia, Georgetown, Fordham, Colgate ,Duke, U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, Wake Forest, U Conn, Notre Dame, Stanford, UCLA, USC, CAL, Arizona, Arizona State, LMU, Santa Clara, University of Washington, Washington State, University of Oregon, Oregon State, University of Portland, Portland State, USF, USD, UOP, Davis, Gonzaga, University of Denver, University of Nevada-Reno, Sacramento State, San Jose State, Fresno State, UCSB, Cal Poly, San Diego State, LSU, Clemson, Auburn, Ole Miss, BYU, TCU, University of Utah, Saint Mary's, Montana, Montana State, Boise State, University of Hawaii, Colorado State, Northern Arizona, American University, Elon, University of Florida, University of Alabama, Rutgers, Providence, Duquesne, Rice, UC Irvine, Eastern Washington, Cal State East Bay, Cal State Bakersfield, Southern Utah, Stony Brook, University of Massachusetts (Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell), Sonoma State, Chico State, Cal Poly Pomona, UCSD, Humboldt State, Cal State Monterey Bay, Chaminade, Hawaii Pacific, Seattle Pacific, Dominican, Colorado Mesa University, Western States College, Grand Canyon, Dixie State, Colorado State-Pueblo, Central Washington University, Northwest Nazarene, University of Puget Sound, Tufts, Williams, Amherst, Bates, NYU, Carnegie Mellon, Kenyon, Haverford, MIT, Hamilton, Middlebury, University of Chicago, Springfield, Clark, Swarthmore, Colby, Vassar, Trinity (Connecticut and Texas), Brandeis, Smith, Lesley, Claremont Mudd Scripps, Pomona Pitzer, Occidental, Redlands, Whittier, Willamette, Western Oregon, Menlo College, Washington and Lee, UC Santa Cruz, Lewis & Clark, Westmont, Azusa Pacific, Point Loma Nazarene.
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Interesting News From the NCAA
NCAA Approach to Concussions It's Better to Miss One Game than a Whole Season?
What is a concussion? A concussion is a brain injury that changes an individual's behavior, thinking or physical functioning. A concussive injury can be difficult to detect since most don't lead to a loss of consciousness and other symptoms might not be immediately apparent.
What causes a concussion? Concussions typically occur from forceful blows to the head or body that result in rapid movement of the head.
What are the numbers on concussions? The CDC estimates 1.6-3.8 million concussions occur annually in sports and recreational activities. Data from the NCAA's injury surveillance program show they represent 5 to 18 percent of the total reported injuries depending on the sport. These numbers may be understated since concussions are difficult to recognize, and student-athletes sometimes don't report injuries that could cost them playing time.
What is the NCAA doing to prevent concussions? In August 2010, the NCAA adopted legislation requiring each member institution to have a concussion management plan. It also funds studies and informs student-athletes, athletic staffs and sport officials on current prevention and return-to-play measures. It can also recommend changes to Association playing rules to make competitions safer.
What does the NCAA recommend for concussion management? Student-athletes should not return to games, practices or other contests when symptoms persist. Under no circumstances should a student-athlete diagnosed with a concussion return to a sports activity the same day.
Does the NCAA require neuropsychological testing? The NCAA does not require one specific assessment tool. However, its sports medicine handbook recommends a number of evaluation measures for student-athletes, who have sustained a concussion, including neuropsychological testing.
How do NCAA rules prevent concussions? NCAA rules committees oversee the playing rules of each sport and work closely with the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports and other medical experts to make competitions safer.
What role do officials and coaches play? Officials have the authority to stop play for an injured student-athlete. Coaches should refer injured student-athletes for medical evaluation and should not return a concussed player to play.
You can't see a concussion, but you might notice some of the symptoms right away. Other symptoms can show up hours or days after the injury.
Concussion symptoms include:
- Amnesia
- Confusion
- Headache
- Loss of consciousness
- Balance problems
- Double or fuzzy vision
- Sensitivity to light or noise
- Nausea
- Feeling sluggish
- Concentration or memory problems
- Slowed reaction time
- Feeling unusually irritable
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Recruiting Question
of The Month
How does A4A develop a list of 30 to 50 colleges for my son/daughter to target?
There are so many great colleges and universities out there, sometimes all it takes is asking the right questions to find them. That's why when researching schools with our athletes, we ask a series of questions that will illicit answers that lead us in the right direction. Questions like: What are you interested in studying? What is your favorite subject? If given the choice (besides playing your sport professionally), what are you possibly interested in doing after college?
Some athletes already know the answers, others we need to ask more questions in order to find their answers. Once we know their interest of study we are only half way there.
We then ask other questions to find out how far away from home do they want to go, rural or urban, what type of weather do they like or not like, extracurricular activities other than their sport, size of school, teacher-student ratio, and more.
Bottom line, there are a lot of great schools out there. Just in the NCAA alone there are: 340 Division I Schools, 290 Division II Schools, 436 Division III Schools. When we consider all the student athletes answers and these these numbers it's easy to find 30 to 50 colleges for them to target.
We spend hours with our athletes researching schools that might be the right fit for them. Through this process we come up with the athletes list, where they want to go, where they can fit in academically, athletically and socially. The "best fit" for each athlete is our goal.
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Testimonials
Steve:
Conner and I wanted to send you our hearty thank you's for all your help with Conner's college application/positioning, and more importantly, for the enormous role you played in the successful results he had in his process! As you know, he used this process to finalize his choice (he got into his first two; and decided not to apply to any more, with glee), to finalize the size/division of school to go to, to develop relationships with coaches at several division levels, and to narrow down his search to the school that really hit him in all the right places.
The steps you helped him through, as well as your personal involvement, were spot on. Conner may be one of the more stubborn humans on the planet, but he followed through really well on this. He succeeded in the early application process in getting great coach support (along with good grades and exceptional SAT's), and being completely done with the madness of college admissions at about the same time most of his friends were just starting with the frenzy. He is extremely excited about both school and baseball at Lewis & Clark. We recommend anyone thinking about college and athletics, at D1, D2, or D3 levels, to talk with you as we have an extremely high level of trust in you and in the process you took Conner through. It helped in a broader way than just the nightmare of the college application process, and as a parent I have huge appreciation for that.
All the best-I am happy to talk to any perspective clients about the good work you do.
Best, Bob
***************
"A4A was a godsend to our Student Athlete. Steve provided invaluable guidance on the recruiting process, advice throughout and the all-important ongoing check-ins with our son. We had no idea how long and how difficult the journey of getting recruited to a Division 1 football program would be. Steve and A4A helped us objectively evaluate our son's potential and match his goals to achievable results.
You definitely need an "Advocate" in your corner during the recruiting process - and they don't get any better than Steve and A4A. We can't thank you enough for being there for us day or night, and making it all happen. The end result of all of the hard work is that our son, Shane, committed to play Defensive End at the United States Naval Academy. We are all very happy with this result and highly recommend A4A!"
Steve and Tammy Artim
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"We wanted to take the time and let all of you know how grateful we are to have spent the past year working with A4A.
Steve, never would I have imagined that a word, "Process" would ring so true in regard to helping our daughter navigate the NCAA/Academic institutions.
As a result of A4A's extensive knowledge, patience and understanding, our daughter Lilly will be attending and swimming at a division one school in the fall of 2013!
Your knowledge and guidance created a low stress, less worry atmosphere in our household thus allowing our family to enjoy the college journey. The consistent support and advice you provided to our daughter along the way has made her more confident and smart about her choices. The experience has taught all of us that patience, persistence and following the "Process" pays off in the end.
Thank you for believing in our daughter and for providing such a valuable and knowledgeable service."
All the very best,
Robin and John Nelson
Redwood City, Ca
***************
"Navigating the student athlete college recruiting path can be a daunting and confusing process. We were fortunate to have A4A's services to help with this process for our daughter who plays soccer. Steve was very professional and extremely flexible in working one-on-one directly with our daughter, while keeping us abreast of current activities. Steve was also extremely helpful in the final stages of discussions and negotiations with the top schools on our list. The process was ultimately successful in that we had several options available for our daughter to play soccer in college at both the Division I and Division II level. I would recommend A4A's services for anyone looking to get professional guidance and assistance with the recruiting and college selection process."
~John and Kim Miller
Parents of Lauren-committed to Cal Poly Pomona-Aug 2012
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"Thank you for all your guidance and help throughout this process. We couldn't have done this without you!! "
~Karen Bruneman
Mother of Brooke-committed to Lesley University-Sept 2012
*************** "Steve, I am a true believer in your program and in A4A and what you have done. If you remember we came to you late in the game. Bemi was a great athlete in football (All-Conference as a junior and senior) but had zero, I repeat zero, interest from any school. More importantly, he had no one helping him or telling him what he needed to do even to have any colleges look at him.
You sat down with us over lunch, laid out a very simple game plan and then you pushed to execute it. From the basics on what to do with ensuring Bemi focus on improving his SAT scores, to making a highlight video and then mapping out the schools that fit a major that he wanted to do with his life. I was impressed by how much 1-1 time you committed to with Bemi, how you coached him on what to do, how to send the emails to the college coaches, how to talk to the coaches, and how to follow-up. More importantly, you stayed on top of everything. You have a "failure is not an option" attitude and its contagious. It is also clear to me that you really care and you work to ensure that the kids you take on are successful and get a chance at a scholarship and more importantly a future education.
As you know we just got back from a weekend trip to Western State College in Colorado where Bemi has received a scholarship offer to play football there. There is no doubt if anyone wants to go to college to be a student athlete, your program is the way to get them that visibility and a chance. I will be happy to recommend your program to anyone. Please send any doubters my way.
Thanks again for all your efforts".
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"When our son decided that he wanted to play sports in college, we weren't sure of how to go about getting information out to college coaches. After countless hours of searching and feeling overwhelmed by the whole process, we decided to seek help, and that is when we contacted Advocates for Athletes (A4A).
After our first session with A4A, we felt like a huge weight had been lifted. A4A gave us so much information that we would have never been able to obtain on our own. With the expert knowledge and information they provided, and the one-on-one help, it made the whole recruiting process a lot easier. A4A gave our son the confidence and tools not only to sell himself to college coaches, but a confidence that he will be able to use throughout his life.
Thanks to the great service they provide, our son has signed with a great college, and is looking forward to being a college athlete. I would recommend A4A to any high school student that is interested in playing sports at the next level. Working with A4A was one of the best things that our family has ever done."
~Mother of a former St. Francis High School Football player recruited to University of San Diego
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"The A4A program has helped my son tremendously. My son has given a verbal commitment to Fresno State this past summer as a Junior, and has already taken an unofficial visit to the school.
The program that A4A customized for my son utilizing the Advocates for Athletes playbook has been a huge help during this crucial time in his life. If I could summarize the changes that I have noticed in his approach to everyday life, his time management would be number one. The A4A program has really helped him prioritize his day to day activities. I have noticed that he is "goal setting" much more than before and incorporating many of the strategies that Steve and my son worked on.
The program works and Steve's diligence and genuine caring for his student athletes is very apparent."
~Tom Paroubeck
Father of Senior Baseball player at Serra High School who has committed to Fresno State
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"I wanted to share with you our family's appreciation for the service that Advoctes for Athletes has provided us. A year ago the task of selecting the right school for our daughter was overwhelming. Frankly, once we met with Steve and learned about the extensive research he had done on this issue and the process he had developed based on his findings we knew we made the right choice. An important side benefit in all of this is that our daughter has taken ownership in what will become her future. It has been a great lesson in learning for our family and his deliberate approach has taken much of the anxiety out of what is an othewise difficult and complicated process. You can count us among the "advocates" for Advocates for Athletes."
~David Bartoshuk
Father of Megan Bartoshuk. Committed to Carnegie Mellon
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Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to read our A4A Newsletter. If you have any questions or comments please contact us.
Please forward this Newsletter on to anyone you feel might be in need of our services or interested in the college recruiting process.
Sincerely,
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A4A Resource Partners
*The Riekes Center for Human Enhancement
*Michael Romano, "Mr. Test Prep"
*BAWSI, Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative
*Susan Zaro, LMFT, Sports Health Counseling
*QWERTY Education Services
Westface College Planning
Prep2Prep
Performance Hoops, John Folonis
The South Bay:
Extreme Fitness&Sports(Campbell)
Crossfit Los Gatos
Tutoring Club(Almaden,Cupertino,Los Gatos and Willow Glen)
For details and contact information on each of our Partners please visit our website @ www.advocates4athletes.com.
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