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Watching the Olympics? Coverage has been great so far. Best story: The now two-time Gold Medal Canadian mogul skier who gets his motivation from his brother who suffers from Cerebral Palsy. The sport is cool, the mogul skiing is amazing, and this story is what the Olympics are all about.
The high school state football championships were Dec. 21st - just 41 days ago - and we are now in the last or second to last week of the regular season for basketball and soccer. And baseball and lacrosse teams are set and "official" practices are now underway in that sport as well. Young athletes today are certainly on the go to say the least.
For all of you out there who have young aspiring athletes, have an interest in college recruiting or college sports in general, the below article is is a MUST READ! Shocking? Alarming? I will let you be the judge, but it is exactly why every family and athlete needs an advocate to help guide them through the process. It talks about how athletes are being recruited at such a young age today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/27/sports/committing-to-play-for-a-college-then-starting-9th-grade.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
Comments, questions?
Thank you again for all your continued support and referrals. We are not done yet with the Class of 2014 but we anticipate every one of our athletes to sign or commit to one of the top schools on their list. Please continue to pass on our name - Advocates for Athletes.....helping high school athletes realize their dream.
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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From the Desk of: Tim Dempsey Director of Athletic Training, The Riekes Center for Human Enhancement
Have you noticed that the designs of running shoes and other athletic footwear are getting closer to the ground and they have less support? Ten years ago, it was common to see running shoes with almost a half inch of padding on the bottom and basketball shoes with so much ankle support they looked like Army boots. So why the change? Partly because better technology has allowed the shock absorption material in the midsole to be thinner, but they also discovered that too much cushioning and support may actually be detrimental. Runners couldn't feel the ground with all the cushioning so they may have been putting too much force into the ground than was necessary; basketball players had less minor ankle sprains, but more severe high ankle sprains and an increase in minor knee problems because their ankles were being supported too much.
So now we have a dramatic increase in running shoes with almost no padding (minimalist shoes) and basketball shoes with little or no support. Just like everything, your body needs time to adjust. So instead of going out and getting a minimally supportive shoe, you may just want to downsize. Go with a running shoe with just a little less cushioning or a basketball shoe with a little less support. Or better yet, simply try walking around in bare feet on a surface that is comfortable to you, like grass, carpet or sand, for just a few minutes a day. If you always wear ankles braces, try going without them for light practices. Soccer players, you need to have your feet locked into the shoes for better ball control, but get out of your shoes when you can and walk around to let your feet open up. Swimmers and water polo players- since you're buoyant all the time, the same applies. Get your feet used to being on the ground, especially if you switch back and forth between a water sport and a land based sport. Your feet will appreciate it and long term you may reduce your chance of injury.
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Where are the A4A Athletes
going to College?
Here is a partial list.
Colleges
The U.S. Naval Academy
Providence University
Princeton University(2)
UCLA
Tulane University
Loyola Marymount University(2)
Lewis and Clark University(2)
Dominican University(2)
Western State College of Colorado
U.C. Berkeley
Texas Christian University
Brown University
University of Utah
Cal Poly Pomona
Claremont Mudd Scripps
Georgetown University(2)
Carroll College
Chaminade University
Kenyon College
U.C. Merced
U.C. Davis
Carnegie Mellon University(2)
Pomona Pitzer University(3)
Duquesne University
Southern Illinois University
Fresno State
University of Redlands (2)
Notre Dame De Namur University
University of San Diego
University of Colorado at Boulder
Colorado College(2)
Cal State East Bay University
Washington State University
Trinity College (Conn)
Leslie University
Willamette
Rochester Polytechnic Institute
Cal State Dominguez Hills
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From the Desk of: Beatrice Shultz
Westface College Planning
A must read for all parents with college bound student athletes!
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From the NCAA:
Information for prospective
students athletes and parents
What Division III has to offer
- Division III athletics provides a well-rounded collegiate experience that involves a balance of rigorous academics, competitive athletics, and the opportunity to pursue the multitude of other co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities offered on Division III campuses.
- Division III playing season and eligibility standards minimize conflicts between athletics and academics, allowing student-athletes to focus on their academic programs and the achievement of a degree.
- Division III offers an intense and competitive athletics environment for student-athletes who play for the love of the game, without the obligation of an athletics scholarship.
- Division III athletics departments place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators. The student-athlete's experience is of paramount concern.
- Division III athletics departments are dedicated to offering broad-based programs with a high number and wide range of athletics participation opportunities for both men and women.
- Division III places primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition, while also offering 36 national championships annually.
- Division III affords student-athletes the opportunity to discover valuable lessons in teamwork, discipline, perseverance, and leadership, which in turn make student-athletes better students and responsible citizens.
- Division III features student-athletes who are subject to the same admission standards, academic standards, housing, and support services as the general student body. The integration of athletics with the larger institution enables student-athletes to experience all aspects of campus life.
- Division III encourages student-athletes to take advantage of the many opportunities available to them, both within and beyond athletics, so that they may develop their full potential as students, athletes, and citizens.
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Recruiting Question
of The Month
How does A4A determine at what college level an athlete can participate (DI, DII, DIII, NAIA or JC)?
At A4A we use a criteria of 5 to make this determination and it remains very accurate. It takes the guess out of the equation.
1. Parent and Student Questionnaire.
2. Athletic Assessment on each athlete.
3. We look at specific numbers (height, weight, speed, strength, stats) that college coaches are looking for in each sport.
4. The level of recruitment so far...Is the athlete receiving letters, emails or telephone calls from college coaches and what do they say?
5. High School and or Club Coaches assessment.
After all this information is assimilated, we will make a recommendation for the college level that is best for each athlete. However, we also help set athletic and academic goals to help each athlete possibly attain playing at a higher division if they that's what their goals are.
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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
***************
"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".
***************
"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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