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Celebrating our 3rd Anniversary!
Thank you for your support, suggestions, advice, referrals and business. Because of you, A4A is 3 years old this month...and growing. Never would I have imagined that A4A would be where it is today. Yes, I saw the need and wanted to help as many local athletes as possible. But to now have more than 140 Bay Area and state-wide athletes under our guidance is amazing.
We have created a "team" - now 7 people strong and have developed relationships with other "like minded" businesses to be able to offer to our athletes not only the recruiting help that they need, but also the athletic training, tutoring, SAT and ACT test prep, sports counseling as well as assisting families with tuition financial planning. Please see below "From the Desk Of" to read more about these partner companies.
One of the great "unplanned" benefits coming out of the A4A program is how our personalized coaching, mentoring and goal setting is helping build confidence in our athletes that will last a lifetime. I just recently received this from one of our A4A alumni:
"Again, I can't thank you enough for how much you have taught me about myself and the vital lessons you taught me. Last week I gave a presentation about confidence and quoted you as my teacher of it's importance. Needless to say, I nailed the presentation. I still go back to my binder for quick tippets and it has proved very useful.
I hope you are doing well, and again, thank you so much!"
Pretty cool!
We are very pleased to announce that over the last three years, we have successfully helped close to 50 student athletes into the colleges of their choice. I have to say, I am very proud of what A4A has done, is doing, and will continue to do. It is so rewarding!!! All about finding the right college fit for each athlete.
Thank you again for all your support and referrals.
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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Where are the A4A Athletes
going to College?
Here is a partial list.
Sport College
Soccer (W) Dominican University
Lacrosse Providence University
Football Princeton University
Baseball Lewis & Clark University
Swimming U.C. Los Angeles
Football Tulane University
Water Polo University of Loyola Marymount
Football Western State College
Football U.C. Berkeley
Baseball Texas Christian University
Volleyball Brown University
Football University of Utah
Soccer Cal Poly Pomona
Football Claremont McKenna College
Football Georgetown University
Basketball Kenyon College
Soccer (W) U.C. Merced
Football Georgetown University
Football U.C. Davis
Soccer (W) Carnegie Mellon University
Basketball (W) Pomona Pitzer University
Swimming (W) Duquesne University
Gymnastics Southern Illinois University
Basketball Princeton University
Baseball Cal State Fresno University
Baseball University of Redlands
Baseball Skyline College
Basketball Notre Dame De Namur University
Football The U.S. Naval Academy
Football University of San Diego
Football University of Colorado at Boulder
Football University of La Verne
Basketball Cal State East Bay University
Basketball Chaminade University
Basketball (W) Loyola Marymount University
Soccer Pomona Pitzer University
Lacrosse Trinity College
Soccer (W) Leslie University
Soccer Dominican University
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A4A Resource Partners:
The Riekes Center
The Riekes Center for Human Enhancement offers speed development, combine/ showcase training, collegiate readiness strength and conditioning programs, evaluations and specialized individual training emphasizing corrective exercises to reduce sport related injuries. A4A athletes receive a 25% discount for the RISE UP (speed development class) and Pinnacle (collegiate readiness strength and conditioning class). In addition to this A4A athletes also receive a discounted rate for a 1 on 1 evaluation session with Director of Athletic Fitness Tim Dempsey, who will design an individualized program that can serve as a primary strength and conditioning program, a supplement to existing work , and/or a program to correct muscle imbalances to reduce the possibility of future injury. For more information contact your A4A coach.
Westface College Planning
At Westface College Planning we work with families to help you plan for and navigate the "paying for college" process. We teach you how to minimize your out-of-pocket expenses, maximize financial aid eligibility, understand the best way to navigate through the college selection process and prioritize your sources of college funds to protect your life savings. Give us a call to educate yourself to potentially save tens of thousands of dollars on a single college education.
Mr. Test Prep
Michael Romano
First let me take this opportunity to congratulate Steve Britschgi on all the great work he and his Advocates 4 Athletes Team have been doing. The passion Steve has for making a difference in the lives of these young people is both undeniable and inspiring. I am proud to be affiliated with such a first class guy.
I love to talk sports. Lebron, Tiger, Nadal, Coach K. Any sport. Any time. But I connect with athletes because I am an athlete. I have been a champion swimmer, a water polo player, a cross country runner, a soccer player, a baseball player, a skier, and most importantly a basketball player (Go Blue Devils!!). As a former student athlete, I understand the challenges that student athletes face: less time for homework, an intense pressure to perform not just in the classroom but on the field, or in the pool as well, and the mental and emotional challenges of dealing with a tough injury or a tough loss. I have walked in their shoes and can empathize. The result is more trust, stronger rapport, and much better test scores. Lastly, I don't really tutor kids. I coach kids. Athletes are very comfortable with the coach as a mentor relationship and so the response is much better to coach than to a tutor.
One more thing..
Mr. Test Prep has never lost a basketball game of one-on-one to a high school kid in the driveway at Mr. Test Prep headquarters. Whose got next?
Sports Health Counseling
Susan Zaro
For over a decade Susan has provided customized Sport Psychology programs and services to individuals, families, coaches and sport organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. She works with a wide population of athletes including, professional, collegiate, high school and those participating on a competitive/recreational level.
Susan is a Licensed Marriage, Family Therapist, Board Certified in Biofeedback. She has Level ll training in EMDR, Level ll Sport Science Certification from the U.S.T.A. and Sport Science Specialist Certification through the U.S.P.T.A. High Performance Competitive Player Development Program. She is a U.S.P.T.A. P-1 teaching professional and writes a Sports Psychology column for the Examiner.com
www.susanzaro.com
QWERTY Educational Services
There are many options to choose from in selecting a tutor and not all are alike. Why should you choose QWERTY Education Services?
We have been a premier provider of education services including tutoring and educational testing for Menlo Park, Palo Alto and surrounding Peninsula communities, for over thirty years, and bring teaching experience, advanced training, and expert credentials to our work with students, families, and schools. Our new Co-Pilot Service program is built for the student that needs a subject-area expert only and the flexibility of at-home, at-library, short or long-term or even weekend meetings. We recognize that many students, especially athletes that are busy with training, practice and game commitments, may need the flexibility to schedule more conveniently than other students.
What sets our Co-Pilot tutors apart from others is that they have access to QWERTY's Core Service providers and resources and can consult with us about larger, education issues should they arise. Give us a call and let us help you determine the best solution for your student. We are proud to be a resource to San Francsco Bay Area families.
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Interesting News From the NCAA
Becoming Eligible
The NCAA membership creates rules in three separate divisions that determine an individual's eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletics. Prospective
student-athletes must meet minimum academic standards and amateurism criteria in to play college sports. The NCAA Eligibility Center administers the
process for prospects seeking initial eligibility. NCAA membership committees composed of faculty members, administrators and other
higher education professionals create and apply eligibility standards.
And in case you didn't know the NCAA breakdown of schools by division is this:
346 active Division I member schools
291 active Division II member schools
439 active Division III member schools
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Recruiting Question
of The Month
What is the hardest part
of the recruiting process?
Getting started! Most families wait for college coaches to come to them. They believe that because their athlete is the best on the team, All League, All County, etc, that college coaches will find them. It does not however, work that way. With recruiting budget cuts and intense competition for scholarships in today's recruiting world it is the athletes that need to reach out to the coaches. By waiting, athletes can take themselves out of the recruiting arena all together, especially if waiting too long for the "right" school to come along.
The reality in recruiting is that you are either going to start early and get ahead, or find yourself playing catch up late in the game.
Here is a suggestion: Don't wait, call A4A for guidance!
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Testimonials
Steve,
Thank you for all your guidance and help in assisting my son find his way on to a college campus with a ball in his and a scholarship in his bank account!!
Your attention to detail and your true desire to help him made the world of difference in his life. While Zayn is a smart, strong, quite young man who is silently confident your guidance and coaching helped him to openly and willingly be confident to speak highly of himself, sell himself, and take ownership of his achievements. These are enhanced skills he will take with him throughout the rest of his life.
Your willingness to meet him near his school and job and accommodate his very busy schedule was appreciated. Also your efforts of continuing to check in and make sure he was on track was one of the keys to his success.
Zayn achieved his dream of transferring to a university that would afford him the academic excellence he demanded as well as be a part of a system were he could be a key contributor.
I have to also thank you for all the talks you had with me and your prompt communication throughout the who process. I was often unsettled and concerned about his future and you never gave off a negative or discouraging message.
Your faith in Zayn and his abilities academically and athletically will never be taken for granted or forgotten.
I am envious of your position to help families and student athletes achieve their dreams because I know there is a demand for this. I am now your advocate! I will do anything I can to help you if you ever need it... and will recommend you to everyone I know going through "the process".
Wishing you continued success,
Susan Kirkendoll
Mother of Zayn, Carroll College, Fall 2013
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Dear Steve,
I am so grateful to you for giving our daughter Rachel the confidence to go after UCLA. She is going down for orientation this week and she is still thrilled with her choice. This last weekend at a swim competition, it was fun to share with another swim parent the value you added to the college search experience. Without your assistance, I don't believe we would have found the complete match in both school and team.
Thank you again,
Alicia Owen,
Mother of Rachel- UCLA, Fall 2013
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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
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"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
Parents of Lilly, Duquesne University, Fall 2013
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"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- Cal Poly Pomona, Fall 2013
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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- Lesley University, Fall 2013
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"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 who has since transferred to play at Colorado.
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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 Jordan, the 69th pick of the San Diego Padres in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft.
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"I wanted to share with you our family's appreciation for the service that Advocates 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 otherwise difficult and complicated process. You can count us among the "advocates" for Advocates for Athletes."
~David Bartoshuk
Father of Megan Bartoshuk. Carnegie Mellon, Fall 2013
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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
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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