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I am very proud to announce that A4A's very first client, Jordan Paroubeck from Serra High School, was chosen by the San Diego Padres as the 69th pick in this year's 2013 Major League Baseball draft. Congratulations to Jordan! He earned a baseball scholarship to Fresno State and now has to decide between signing a major league contract or utilizing the scholarship. In baseball by the way, a player needs to sign right out of high school or play in college for a minimum of 3 years and then sign. There are no in-betweens. Big decision!!!
Jordan Paroubeck is a San Carlos kid who has worked his tail off to get where he is. Early morning workouts at the gym and late nights at the batting cage earned him WCAL Player of the Year honors this year and ultimately his being drafted. To all aspiring athletes out there, Jordan's goal setting and work ethic was fantastic, he knew what he wanted and worked hard to get it. I am proud to have worked with this young man. For those wondering when Jordan started the college recruiting process, it was at the beginning of his sophomore year. Good luck Jordan!
On another note, I have been working my away around the graduation circuit for the past few weeks. Thanks for all the invites from A4A parents and athletes. It is so cool to hear the words, "Without your help we don't know where we would be or what would of happened." Bottom line is, I love what I do and have a passion for helping high school athletes realize their dream of playing their sport in college.
In all we had a total of 26 seniors sign or commit to colleges of their choice.
"Of their choice" being the operative saying. Through research and guidance from A4A, our athletes put their own school lists together. These are the schools that the athletes are reaching out to, communicating with and ultimately committing to - the schools that they want to go to.
Here are just a few of the schools that our senior graduates will be attending and playing for in the Fall: The U.S. Naval Academy, Princeton, Georgetown, UCLA, Loyola Marymount, U.C. Davis, Duquesne, Cal Poly Pomona, Dominican, Carnegie Mellon, Pomona Pitzer and Trinity (Conn).
Congratulations to all the 2013 A4A seniors, it has been a great ride. Can't wait to see what you will do next and looking forward to seeing how the Class of 2014 will compare.
All the Best,
Steve
Steve Britschgi
President
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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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A4A Athlete
Picture of the Month
 Steve and 6'4" 240lb, WCAL Defensive Lineman of the Year and 2013 St. Francis graduate, Shane Artim. Shane is bound for The U.S. Naval Academy to play football this Fall.
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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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From the Desk of
Beatriz Schultz:
Westface College Planning
Top 8 College Planning Tips:
We all know college can be expensive. How can you begin preparing for your child's education now? Here are 8 of my favorites:
- A college savings plan. Your greatest asset is time. The sooner you start saving for your children's college education, the more time you will have for your savings to grow.
- Start early to ready yourself. Building academic and personal credentials takes time. Transcripts reveal academic achievements from the 9th to the 12th grades, so the 9th grade is a good starting point for high grades and test-taking success. Yet, acquiring a foundation for learning begins earlier in elementary school. The higher the G.P.A. and the higher the SAT/ACT scores the better your chances for academic scholarships.
- Get involved in school and community activities. Good grades are important, but college and scholarship committees have many applicants with outstanding G.P.A.'s and test scores. Leadership, involvement and community service show a student's potential, diversity and concern for others.
- You're not going to receive any funding if you don't apply for it, so go in with a positive attitude and apply for awards early and often. Financial aid is available along with millions of dollars in scholarships being awarded annually despite any economic crises.
- Meet deadlines and follow instructions.
- Make financial aid a part of your campus visits. Ask to speak with someone in the student financial aid office - it's the best way to help your family become familiar with campus-based awards. Take some notes! They could come in handy later.
- Plan to live like a student while you are in school so you don't have to live like a student after you graduate. Short-term sacrifices can make a difference in the long run.
- DON'T borrow more than you need. Remember you have to pay it back!
For more helpful tips, come to my next College Funding Workshop or contact me! Thanks,
Beatrice
--
Beatrice Schultz, CFP�, College Funding Specialist
Westface College Planning 990 Industrial Road, Ste 112, San Carlos, CA 94070
www.CollegeSmartRadio.com
College Smart Radio - Tackling the Runaway Costs of College, is a weekly radio show hosted by Beatrice Schultz on 1220am KDOW, The Wall Street Business Network, airing Saturdays from 3:00pm-3:30pm PST. Visit our Upcoming Shows page to see what we'll be talking about each week.Thanks for listening!
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Interesting News From the
NCAA
Student-athletes continue classroom success Basketball, football teams meeting the mark.
Key highlights:
The most recent four-year Division I APR is 974, up one point over last year.
Across all sports, student-athletes have improved or maintained the rates of classroom success.
Sport improvements in APR over the past five years:
- Men's basketball: +12
- Women's track: +11
- Men's track: +9
- Women's basketball: +7
- Football: +6
In the past nine years, more than 11,500 student-athletes have returned to campus, earned degrees and in the process earned an additional APR point for their former teams.
Student-athletes across Division I increased or maintained academic success across all sports, according to the latest NCAA Academic Progress Rates.
The most recent four-year Division I APR is 974, up one point over last year. The average four-year rate also rose two points in men's and women's basketball, while the rates held steady in baseball and football.
NCAA President Mark Emmert noted that 10 years after its creation, the APR continues to encourage student-athletes to succeed in the classroom and campuses to support them in their education.
"These are strong and meaningful academic standards, and we are pleased to witness the continued improvement of student-athletes' academic performance," Emmert said. "The NCAA and its member schools believe in supporting success both on and off the playing field. As educators, we must continue to embrace our role in providing the necessary skills to continue this high achievement."
Every Division I sports team calculates its APR each academic year, based on the eligibility, graduation and retention of each scholarship student-athlete. Teams scoring below certain thresholds can face consequences, such as practice restrictions and restrictions on postseason competition. Rates are based on the past four years' performance.
In the NCAA's high profile sports, the average four-year APR for men's basketball is 952, up two points from last year. Women's basketball is up two points to 972, while football and baseball remained steady at 949 and 965 respectively.
Limited-resource, HBCU schools improve:
One of the most notable trends in the Academic Performance Program data over the past two years has been the dramatic increase in Academic Progress Rates posted by limited-resource schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Read Full Story.
The number of student-athletes who left school while ineligible has decreased significantly each year since the APR began and is now at an all-time low. Over the past nine years, the rate of baseball, men's basketball and football student-athletes who have left campus while ineligible has been roughly cut in half. Only 2.1 percent of all student-athletes represented in the 2011-12 data left school while academically ineligible.
Further, more than 11,500 student-athletes have returned to campus and earned their degrees since the creation of APR. Of these student-athletes, approximately half competed in the high-profile sports of baseball, men's basketball, football and women's basketball.
"The former student-athletes who have returned to school and completed their degree are a powerful testament to the value of education," said Emmert. "Graduation is the goal, and I commend each and every one of these former athletes for celebrating the 'student' in 'student-athlete.'"
In order to compete in the 2013-14 postseason, teams must achieve a 900 multi-year APR or a 930 average over the most recent two years. The same standard was in place for the 2012-13 academic year. This standard will increase to a multi-year 930, which predicts to a Graduation Success Rate of approximately 50 percent, or a 940 two-year average APR for the 2014-15 postseason. To assist limited-resource institutions, the board gave these schools and their teams more flexibility to meet the standards.
The NCAA also has worked closely with Historically Black Colleges and Universities as they continue to improve the academic performance of their student-athletes. These institutions cultivated a 15-point increase over the last two years, up from 932 to 947, and saw significant gains in the retention and eligibility of their student-athletes.
According to the latest APR figures, 18 teams will not have access to the 2013-14 postseason, compared with 15 teams during 2012-13. In total, 36 teams with APRs below 900 are facing consequences next season, including restrictions on practice and regular season competition, and other sanctions.
"The end game with all academic-centered efforts, from the eligibility standards to the APR scorecard, is to ensure student-athletes are ultimately prepared for the game of life," said Walter Harrison, chair of the NCAA Committee on Academic Performance (CAP) and president of the University of Hartford. "With a proper focus on education, students can be prepared for life beyond the classroom and their college or university."
To ensure fairness, the NCAA provides APR adjustments for student-athletes who transfer with certain grade-point averages and those who leave in good academic standing for professional athletics careers. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on the scores from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years.
APRs for each team, as well as lists of teams receiving public recognition or sanctions are available online through the NCAA's searchable database.
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Recruiting Question
of The Month
When should we start, the recruiting process and what should we do?
There is no perfect time to start, but the sooner you start the better your chances. Especially today with the competition for scholarships and spots on college teams getting harder and harder to come by, coaches are not only looking for talented athletes but athletes with good character as well....so what's the best way to let coaches know that you have good character? You tell them through constant consistent communication. All about building relationships and then cultivating them. The majority of our athletes are starting by sophomore year, many by freshmen year.
As far as what should we do? First and foremost don't wing it. It is really best to get some help. It is not rocket science, but better to have someone advocating for you that knows what to do and when. A game plan is a must...athletic assessment, education, research, marketing, communication and constant consistent communication. It takes time and patience. They call it the recruiting "process" for a reason.
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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
***************
"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
***************
"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".
***************
"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
***************
"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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