Our partner Matt Hunt from College Hunt helps students successfully navigate the college selection process. In his latest blog post, he explains what steps you need to take when receiving multiple admissions offers from the schools you applied to.

Congratulations, you’ve earned multiple admissions offers from the schools you applied to! This is a time in your life that’s filled with excitement, happiness, and I’m willing to bet a little confusion on the ultimate next step…where to enroll? With some careful planning, you can lessen the confusion while increasing your confidence on which school is best for you.

Begin by revisiting your reasons for applying to each individual school. Is there a particular major or program that sparks your interest? Do they offer internship or co-op opportunities that could lead to a future career after earning your degree? Remember, while having a wonderful college experience is important the main goal is to come out prepared and ready to compete in the job market. If one of the schools provides something different and unique that you believe would provide incredible learning and training you may be able to eliminate a few off the list.

The cost of higher education continues to skyrocket every year. Do not underestimate the value of each individual financial aid package offered by the various schools. Now is the time to break down what each school is offering and compare and contrast those offers. One of the biggest misconceptions students and parents have is the admission or the financial aid offices frown upon communicating with students who were offered admissions. Contact the financial aid office and discuss the package, don’t be afraid to ask for more or if there in anything else available to lower the cost. Trust me, the admissions offer will remain; it will not be rescinded because you or your parents inquired about the possibility of accessing more aid. In the end, the less debt a student can encumber the better, any money saved can be put towards numerous expenses in the future.

Make time to revisit the campuses, mainly the ones at the top of your list. Now that you’re “in” you may have a different perspective or feel for the campus. Similar to when you first considered and saw the school, work on scheduling a time with a professor in the department you plan to study, observe classes, check out the housing, meet with students in the desired major, and what a perfect time to stop by the financial aid office (see above) to learn more about the offer.

Once you’ve made the final selection on where you’ll attend, congratulations, but you’re not done yet. Best to quickly and appropriately communicate with the schools you’ll not attend so they may offer your spot and financial aid to another student. Showing professionalism and gratitude is best and something you will do throughout life so start now by letting those schools know you’re respectfully declining.

Gaining admissions into multiple colleges and universities is a wonderful experience and the culmination of a tremendous effort by the student and parents. Take time to review the different opportunities and make the best decision for you!

For more information about the college selection process check out his blog!

Our partner Matt Hunt from College Hunt helps students successfully navigate the college selection process. In his latest blog post he explains, what steps students need to take throughout high school in order to compete for an admission in the Ivy League.

“Give yourself the opportunity to compete!” The Ivy League consists of eight of the most competitive admissions and desired campuses in the country. Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, U Penn, and Yale are the schools that make up the Ivy League. Each year they receive thousands of applications for not nearly the equivalent of spots.

How does a student give themselves an opportunity to compete for admissions? There is a process to follow, first, it’s important to look at some admissions numbers, and truly understand how extremely competitive it is. Here is a snapshot of admissions applications at three Ivy schools last year, Brown had 28,742 applications and 2,627 accepted= 9.14%, Princeton had 26,641 applications and 1,983 accepted= 7.44%, and Yale had 27,283 and 2,109 accepted. As you can see the competition is steep.

Competition is not a bad thing, and if you’ve decided to apply to one or two of the Ivy Leagues schools great, just understand the best of the best apply every fall and in reality, it’s become a global competition.

Now that we understand the level of competition, what can a student do throughout high school to give themselves the opportunity to apply?

1. A positive display of well roundness in all aspects of your life.
2. Must enroll in highest curriculum possible, with continued rigor throughout four years (Honors and AP courses- go with strengths).
3. Take advantage of the curriculum offered at your high school.
4. Three or more years of World Language and Science.
5. Extracurricular activities- 2 with sustained commitment and leadership roles (team captain, treasurer, etc.)
6. Strong performance on SAT or ACT tests.

The Ivy Leagues schools use what is called a “holistic” approach when reviewing individual applications. A holistic approach is one that allows the admissions officers to dig deep into the application by reading letters of recommendations, multiple essays and short answer questions, and extracurricular activities.

“What separates you from other applicants?” Is a question that plays a major role throughout the holistic admission process and final decision? Did you participate in an internship that matches with your future major and career goals? Have you shown extraordinary initiative or creative thinking in seeking out or designing an opportunity for yourself? Have you displayed the strength of character in overcoming adversity?

Many of the Ivy League school applications will require an essay and often more than one. This is a tremendous opportunity to express more about yourself, your future goals, a particular strength, or area of growth. Do your research- adding specific information about a major or program reflects well.

The Ivy League schools provide students an outstanding educational opportunity. Once a student understands and accepts the level of competition they should move forward with completing the application and wait for the final decision.

For more information about the college selection process check out his blog!

We would like to congratulate Matt Stearns on his commitment to California State University, Dominguez Hills! Here are Matt’s recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as a Toro! 1. Share your recruiting story and status A few weeks ago. The process was exciting. I had the opportunity to choose from three schools. 2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them? I chose Cal State Dominguez Hills. The fit was the best for me and my family. The coaching staff is really great there and I get to stay in SoCal playing baseball. 3. How did SportsForce help in the process? Ryan and Darrell were super helpful and the insight they gave us was invaluable. Sportsforce helped us get noticed by a lot of schools. Ryan advised us on which showcases and tournaments I should attend to maximize being seen by the schools I was interested in. 4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process? Start early, find the schools that will be the best fit for you and your family. 5. How excited are you for your future in college? I am super excited about taking my game to the next level and playing College Baseball. 6. How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses because of you being recruited? I believe it will be close to $50,000 7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why? I would recommend Sportsforce to help others with the recruiting process. I learned a lot from Sportsforce on how to communicate with coaches and find the best fit for me.   Our Mission at SportsForce Baseball: We are on a mission to help our select number of qualified and evaluated players maximize their recruiting offers and make the best college decision. Started by CEO & founder Andrew Beinbrink, SportsForce Baseball is a nationally recognized college recruiting advisory group with over 40 former college coaches, players, and MLB scouts in 10 different states. During the last 11+ years, we’ve helped over 1,000 players make their college commitments. Read below, why we are different from every recruiting group in the country. Why SportsForce is Different: * View our Home Page Video Unlike most recruiting companies, we do not just partner with anyone for our hands-on recruiting programs. Instead, we only partner with qualified players who meet our Five academic, athletic, and coachability selection factors. We evaluate between 10,000-12,000 players each summer and fall at top showcases and selectively advise, and advocate for only a limited number of players each year by directly contacting college coaches to help them maximize recruiting offers. Each of our expert college recruiters is limited to how many players they will advise so there is the best combination of hands-on guidance and personal recruiting outreach to college coaches. Social Media Exposure: We also utilize our growing Twitter following at @SportsForceBB which is followed by over 500 NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC coaches nationwide and growing fast. To Get Evaluated by Our Expert College Recruiting Staff: Option 1: Complete our Recruiting Questionnaire Option 2: Email us at scouting@sportsforceonline.com Options 3: DM us on Instagram @SportsForceBB or Twitter @SportsForceBB and share recent video, stats, or measurables (velocity, 60, exit speed, pop time, etc…) for our scouts to evaluate. Find out if Your Son’s Qualifies for One of Our Hands-On Recruiting Programs? Twitter Recruiting Education & College Needs Posts: We post ongoing recruiting education and post NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC needs year around. Follow us on Twitter @SportsForceBB account and join over 500 hundred NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC coaches nationwide that follow us and growing fast. Tagging us: If you have some good video to share with us, make sure to tag us @SportsForceBB or DM us and we will review it.

We would like to congratulate Cameron Parmigiani on his commitment to University of St. Francis! Here are Cameron’s recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as a Fighting Saint!

1. Share your recruiting story and status

I started working with SportsForce during the summer between my Junior and Senior years of high school. After their evaluation, I was told that I would likely play NAIA or NCAA D3 college basketball. My first introduction to college coaches was on the very first day of my Senior Year of high school. I had about 40 responses from college coaches. I began narrowing down these schools, with SportsForce’s help, of course. They guided me through the process, gave me advice on how to properly communicate with the college coaches who were interested in me. They were there every step of the way. I ultimately narrowed my list down to about 7 schools. It was then when I began making official visits to schools, doing overnights at the campuses with the basketball teams, and having lengthy calls with the coaches to discuss the possibilities for my future as a student-athlete. On March 26, 2016, I signed with the University of St. Francis men’s basketball team, committing to them, reserving my spot on the team, and accepting the athletic scholarship money they offered me. Being a dedicated student, I also received a significant academic scholarship as well…

2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them?

Next year, I will be attending the University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Illinois. I chose them for their location, school size, feel of the school, athletic prowess, and relation to the coaching staff.

3. How did SportsForce help in the process?

SportsForce helped guide me through the minefield of the college athletic recruiting process by telling me how to handle business, and how to approach the coaches with questions or concerns I may have had.

4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process?

I would definitely recommend that perspective college student athletes get a head start, earlier than I did, in order to get the roster spot they may deserve before it fills up. The highlight video was a notably big part of my recruitment, so I absolutely would recommend that as well. One piece of advice for them, though, would be to choose a school where you could also see yourself attending without playing your sport. Say you get severely injured after your first year, you don’t want to be stuck there; unhappy, and have to transfer and begin the search again. Just something to think about.

5. How excited are you for your future in college?

I am STOKED for my college basketball career, and I know that I have chosen the right school for me!

6. How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses because of you being recruited?

Because of the help from SportsForce, we will be saving over 50% of our college costs through my athletic and academic scholarships.

7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why?

Yes. I would recommend it. I had no idea where I wanted to go to college at the start of my senior year of high school, which was very stressing and intimidating. SportsForce helped me find schools that wanted me, and I went from there! 🙂

Over the last five years, SportsForce has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

To greatly improve your chances of competing at the collegiate level, it’s critical to understand the importance of building and sustaining personal relationships with college coaches. This is sometimes the essential separator between two equal recruiting candidates.

Because player statistics and videos don’t tell the whole story about a student-athlete if a coach is interested in recruiting you, voice to voice contact or in-person meetings are ultimately necessary. During these moments, it’s absolutely critical to make a good impression. Always be prepared for the encounter whether over the phone or in person. The most effective way to accomplish this task is to:

1. Take time to learn about the school, the coaches, and the sports program. Go online and read about the coaching staff backgrounds along with the programs’ successes and challenges. Learn about the conference they compete in and the other teams they play against. Understand the current roster of players and where you might fit in based on your specific position, measurables or stats. Learn about the school academically and be prepared to share with the coach why it is a top fit school/program for you. Keep notes next to the phone to help remember key things you want to discuss with the coach. Keep a journal of personal notes about your calls for future decision-making purposes.

2. Ask intentional questions. Before a call or meeting, write out a list of questions that you want to learn about the school and the coach. College coaches always appreciate well thought out and intelligent questions. Some things to uncover in these conversations may include the programs’ graduation rates, team GPA, team goals, in-season and off-season training schedules/expectations, team bonding events and how the coach sees you fitting in the program.

3. Be memorable – write a hand written note. After a conversation or meeting with a coach, write a hand written note thanking him or her for their time. At the very least, send a thank you email within 24-48 hours.

4. Introduce yourself at camps. Don’t be intimidated or afraid to walk up to each coach and introduce yourself. Let them know your name, high school, grad year, position and that you’re excited to be there. To make this first introduction even easier, send the coaches in attendance a letter prior to the camp, along with your game video so they have a better chance of remembering you.

5. Stay connected. At the end of a call or meeting, ask the coach if it would be okay to email and update each other every 1-2 months. Also, ask what social media platform they prefer and keep in touch that way as well. Monitoring the success of a college program and or congratulating the coach shows you have a strong interest in their school/program.

Maintaining consistent touchpoints and building personal relationships with college coaches will typically produce very positive recruiting results. Results that will help you to determine your best-fit school, best coaching staff, best athletic/academic programs, best offer and the best future career opportunities.

 

Over the last five years, SportsForce has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

We would like to congratulate Jake Fosgett on his commitment to Concordia University of Nebraska! Here are Jake’s recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as a Bulldog! 1. Share your recruiting story and status My college recruiting process began a little later than what probably would have been ideal. I began after the summer of my sophomore year in high school, following a solid season of pitching for San Dieguito Academy. The only time I really showcased myself was when I participated in tournaments trying to get some exposure from college scouts/coaches. During my junior year in high school, I teamed up with SportsForce to get actual advice from people with actual experience in the field of recruiting. I was given LOTS of help from the SportsForce guys. I got some recruiting knowledge such as: what questions to ask coaches, how to contact those coaches, and how to effectively proceed through the recruiting process. Helpful tips for my pitching form were even given in areas that needed to be improved upon. All this eventually led me to perform in a Prospect camp that put me in contact with my future coach at Concordia. He was impressed at how well I performed on and off the field, including grades, and showed a strong interest in me for his team. I committed in October of 2015, three months after coming in contact with the coach at my school. 2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them? I am going to Concordia University of Nebraska. The two main reasons I chose the school would have to be the baseball coach there and the strong education that I am anxious to receive in my major of Computer Sciences. 3. How did SportsForce help in the process? As I said before, SportsForce gave me an abundant wealth of advice that helped me converse and contact college scouts and coaches. 4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process? I’d say that one very important thing would be to start as early as you can. The first big step you should take is during your freshman and sophomore year. If you’re starting a little later, as I did, don’t panic! However, you will need to give more dedication to participating in tournaments, camps, and showcases in a shorter amount of time. 5. How excited are you for your future in college? I’m very excited about college. Obviously, I’m quite nervous for it, but feel I made a great decision going to Concordia where there are some really cool baseball guys that will be my future teammates. 6. How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses because of you being recruited? I currently have a $17,000 scholarship to go to Concordia, which is half the Out-of-State cost. For four years, that is $68,000 in savings for college. 7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why? I would recommend SportsForce to anybody willing to put in all the necessary effort for college and baseball, and then some. If you’re going to be a student-athlete with SportsForce, then grades, baseball, and family are going to need to become your top priorities to succeed in the recruiting process.   Our Mission at SportsForce Baseball: We are on a mission to help our select number of qualified and evaluated players maximize their recruiting offers and make the best college decision. Started by CEO & founder Andrew Beinbrink, SportsForce Baseball is a nationally recognized college recruiting advisory group with over 40 former college coaches, players, and MLB scouts in 10 different states. During the last 11+ years, we’ve helped over 1,000 players make their college commitments. Read below, why we are different from every recruiting group in the country. Why SportsForce is Different: * View our Home Page Video Unlike most recruiting companies, we do not just partner with anyone for our hands-on recruiting programs. Instead, we only partner with qualified players who meet our Five academic, athletic, and coachability selection factors. We evaluate between 10,000-12,000 players each summer and fall at top showcases and selectively advise, and advocate for only a limited number of players each year by directly contacting college coaches to help them maximize recruiting offers. Each of our expert college recruiters is limited to how many players they will advise so there is the best combination of hands-on guidance and personal recruiting outreach to college coaches. Social Media Exposure: We also utilize our growing Twitter following at @SportsForceBB which is followed by over 500 NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC coaches nationwide and growing fast. To Get Evaluated by Our Expert College Recruiting Staff: Option 1: Complete our Recruiting Questionnaire Option 2: Email us at scouting@sportsforceonline.com Options 3: DM us on Instagram @SportsForceBB or Twitter @SportsForceBB and share recent video, stats, or measurables (velocity, 60, exit speed, pop time, etc…) for our scouts to evaluate. Find out if Your Son’s Qualifies for One of Our Hands-On Recruiting Programs? Twitter Recruiting Education & College Needs Posts: We post ongoing recruiting education and post NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC needs year around. Follow us on Twitter @SportsForceBB account and join over 500 hundred NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC coaches nationwide that follow us and growing fast. Tagging us: If you have some good video to share with us, make sure to tag us @SportsForceBB or DM us and we will review it.

We would like to congratulate Tyler Hazlett on his commitment to Hawaii Pacific University! Here are Tyler’s recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as a Shark! 1. Share your recruiting story and status I play for a small Division 5 high school team in Temple City, California. I began participating in baseball showcases in December of my junior year. While attending a baseball camp at USC, I met the General Manager for Trosky Baseball and later that year was asked to play for the Trosky 18U team the next summer. Playing for Trosky was the best experience of my high school career and consistently put me in front of dozens of college coaches. We quickly realized that even starting the recruiting process as a junior we were somewhat behind. Some of my Trosky teammates were committing as sophomores and juniors. We felt behind in the process from the beginning. My coaches and I knew I would play somewhere but we didn’t know where. I didn’t commit until the middle of my senior year. 2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them? I committed to attend play baseball for Hawaii Pacific University in February of my senior year. I was being watched by many colleges and actively recruited by a handful. I visited the campuses and met with the coaching staff of the schools that were actively recruiting me. This was a very important experience and all I can say is I just knew that HPU was the right college for me. I considered the education, campus, location, team, coaching staff and the opportunity to make an immediate impact. The home field is not the best and the campus is not very traditional, but it all feels right to me. I met several families from Hawaii while playing for Trosky and the love and kindness they showed me and my family also influenced my decision. 3. How did SportsForce help in the process? My mom heard a presentation from SportsForce at a college showcase and told my dad we needed to look into their service. We set up a phone call with Andrew (Beinbrink, CEO/Co-Founder of SportsForce) and he gave us some valuable advice about the recruiting process and what was required to be marketable. We decided to sign up because it seemed like Andrew really understood the process and we felt like we were already behind. My dad tells his friends that the recruiting process is another full-time job. My initial list had 50 possible schools from NCAA Division I to Division III. In baseball, there are only so many coaches and even fewer opportunities for them to see you play. Communicating to coaches when and where they can see you is the most important piece of the puzzle. SportsForce helped us email every single coach on the college staff on my target list before every game or tournament. SportsForce also helped us determine if a coach was really interested in me or just marketing their program. An invitation to a camp is not the same as a phone call or text message from a coach. 4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process? The process is different for every single person, start early but don’t be discouraged if you do start late. It’s hard to believe early means freshman year or earlier for some, but that’s what it means in baseball. A highlight video is a must and has to be short and focused, but playing or showcasing in front of coaches is most important. Be flexible, schools I thought I wanted to attend didn’t feel right when I actually visited the campus. Grades are also extremely important. A GPA of 3.5 and above puts you in a different category for coaches and impacts the amount of academic money a college can offer you. A coach has a lot more flexibility when he can rely on your academic achievement. My offer was stacked with an academic scholarship and an athletic scholarship. The process is not easy! Responding to emails from coaches can take hours after a game or tournament. You need to be organized and I relied on my parents a lot. My dad had his friends call me as mock college coaches so I would be prepared when the phone calls came. Research the schools you are interested in and be able to talk about yourself and what you like and don’t like about a school. Be honest with the coach and yourself and make sure it feels right to you. 5. How excited are you for your future in college? I am extremely happy with my choice and look forward to a great college experience. I love the campus, the coaches, the people and the food. And hey, the location is Hawaii. 6. How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses because of you being recruited? My offer is for $18,000 a year, so we will save $72,000 over the four years. 7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why? I play for Trosky Mizuno and we play and travel a lot in the summer. My Dad said we would not have been able to manage the email communication without SportsForce. SportsForce started out sending over two hundred emails at a time for me when we started. Darrell (Mazon, Co-Director of Client Team at SportsForce) kept me on task and made sure I got my emails to coaches in time so they would be able to schedule a time to see me at games and tournaments. When communication and offers started coming in, Andrew was there to provide advice. One of the best parts was that I was able to see which coaches watched my video and which coaches opened my emails.   Our Mission at SportsForce Baseball: We are on a mission to help our select number of qualified and evaluated players maximize their recruiting offers and make the best college decision. Started by CEO & founder Andrew Beinbrink, SportsForce Baseball is a nationally recognized college recruiting advisory group with over 40 former college coaches, players, and MLB scouts in 10 different states. During the last 11+ years, we’ve helped over 1,000 players make their college commitments. Read below, why we are different from every recruiting group in the country. Why SportsForce is Different: * View our Home Page Video Unlike most recruiting companies, we do not just partner with anyone for our hands-on recruiting programs. Instead, we only partner with qualified players who meet our Five academic, athletic, and coachability selection factors. We evaluate between 10,000-12,000 players each summer and fall at top showcases and selectively advise, and advocate for only a limited number of players each year by directly contacting college coaches to help them maximize recruiting offers. Each of our expert college recruiters is limited to how many players they will advise so there is the best combination of hands-on guidance and personal recruiting outreach to college coaches. Social Media Exposure: We also utilize our growing Twitter following at @SportsForceBB which is followed by over 500 NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC coaches nationwide and growing fast. To Get Evaluated by Our Expert College Recruiting Staff: Option 1: Complete our Recruiting Questionnaire Option 2: Email us at scouting@sportsforceonline.com Options 3: DM us on Instagram @SportsForceBB or Twitter @SportsForceBB and share recent video, stats, or measurables (velocity, 60, exit speed, pop time, etc…) for our scouts to evaluate. Find out if Your Son’s Qualifies for One of Our Hands-On Recruiting Programs? Twitter Recruiting Education & College Needs Posts: We post ongoing recruiting education and post NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC needs year around. Follow us on Twitter @SportsForceBB account and join over 500 hundred NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC coaches nationwide that follow us and growing fast. Tagging us: If you have some good video to share with us, make sure to tag us @SportsForceBB or DM us and we will review it.

We at SportsForce would like to congratulate Joel Brown on his commitment to Chapman University! Here are Joel’s recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as a Panther!

We at SportsForce would like to congratulate Austin Ruiz on his commitment to Azusa Pacific University. Here is Austin and his family’s recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as a Cougar!

1. Share your recruiting story and status Austin: The process was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be especially for my parents. They wanted to make sure I would find the college that was right for me. I just played the game I love and knew that I would end up with the right college. I feel that my selection to play at Azusa Pacific University is definitely the right place for me and I signed the National Letter of Intent on November 11, 2015. Parents: As a parent, all you want is what’s best for your child. The college process today is much more complicated and a lot more nerve racking then when we went to college. We also feel it’s a lot more stressful for the parents. Not only do you want the right fit academically and athletically for your child you also want to hopefully get the best deal financially so it’s affordable. In baseball, it’s rare to get more than 35 to 50 percent and even then that’s a lot. So as parents you really need to make sure you approach the search with your child with realistic expectations. It may be a great school but if they only offer you 35% and you have to shell out the rest, can you afford it? Your child has to also understand your limitations as well and sometimes that’s more difficult than actually finding a school.   2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them? Austin: Azusa Pacific University is the school that I chose. I wanted a small private/Christian school with a good baseball program and one with great coaches who will take the time to help me get to the next level. I also wanted a school with a football team, and a sports science-oriented major program. With APU, I’m getting all of this, every time I talked with coaches they talked to me like I’m already there and everything they told me about how they run their baseball program seems to fit with the way I play the game. APU has the major that I’m interested in called “Applied Exercise Sciences”, which I’m excited about. Parents: This question is one that should be asked up front at the beginning as well as half way through the process. Parents and children have different wants and those wants also change as the process evolves. For example when we first started Austin wanted to go to a school that was nationally ranked and always in the limelight. This school just happened to be on the other side of the US. No big deal right? Maybe/Maybe not! What about going to the games? Do we have a travel fund? How often can we go? Does he really want to be that far away? Etc. etc. That one idea sparked many questions. Answer them now and be honest. We wanted him to go to a prominent west coast school known for its academics as well as for baseball. All of the schools that both he and we picked were big with big campuses, tons of students etc. When we started to go visit these schools it became quite apparent that Austin didn’t like the feel of a big school. He loved the coaches and the baseball program but we could tell something was out of place. He just didn’t react the way we expected? Why? We never asked him right away. After visiting approx. 8-10 of these schools we finally asked him which one? He said he didn’t feel comfortable at any of them? As a parent, you can just imagine how we felt. What? How could you not feel comfortable at….. What we finally realized after many questions later, what our son really wanted was a smaller more academic-minded school with a great baseball program. Well, that definitely changed the next few months for us. We switched gears and started researching. That is where SportsForce really assisted us. 3. How did SportsForce help in the process? Austin: SportForce helped with getting emails out to the coaches, bringing them to my site online where SportsForce outlined my sports web page which gave coaches instant knowledge on who I am and how I play the game. Their staff worked with me getting to know me and understanding what I wanted and then pointed me in the right direction. I worked one on one with Andrew and he took the time to get to know me as a person, a student, and an athlete. He really helped me to understand the process and how to talk with coaches about what I wanted in order to make the best choice for me. Andrew called me and we practiced and he helped ease my nerves. Parents: As you can imagine as parents even though you have a great relationship with your child and think that you communicate perfectly you find out that sometimes you really don’t. Not because there is something wrong but more from the standpoint that your kid thinks you want one thing and doesn’t want to burst your bubble and vice versa. You see all this time we thought Austin wanted a big national school and he thought that’s what we wanted? When all along all we wanted was for him to find the best school for him and he wanted a smaller school that fit his personality and a good program where he could still improve, evolve and hopefully get to the next level. SportForce helped bring this out of both of us by having one on one conversations with Austin as well as with us. Andrew took the time to truly understand us, what we all wanted and helped articulate that with each of us. Once we all understood what was important from an academic, athletic and financial perspective it was a lot easier to develop a good list of schools. This made the process a whole lot easier and a lot of our concerns and worries just went away. We then started visiting these campuses and when Austin stepped onto APU and after he talked with the coaches he came home and said that’s the school and those are the coaches I want to play for. Everything just seemed to fit. As a family, we couldn’t be more proud and happy with our son and with the choices & decisions that he made. I want to emphasize this, “the choices that he made”! In the end, it has to be your child’s choice. It’s time to let go and allow them to grow and learn without the safety net. In the end, they are going there not you!   4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process? Austin: To the parents don’t put pressure on your children to get a scholarship as soon as they can and let them decide what school they want to go too. God has a plan for when and what school will come across that they like and when it does take advantage of it. To the players, definitely get started on videoing yourself as soon as you can, especially if you want to go to an out of state college and start putting yourself in front of college coaches as soon as possible. Also, don’t get nervous when a coach comes out to see you, just relax and play the game you love the way you know-how. The way you have been playing your whole life. It’s a game! SportForce and my parents helped me with the above and they can help you too. Parents: The process of finding a college for your kid can be a fun and exciting one as well as a frustrating and disappointing one. My biggest advice is remembering that to the college it’s a business decision and to you and your family, it’s very personal. Prepare yourself for disappointment and don’t let yourself get so caught up in the school that you lose sight of the real goal and that’s you and your child finding the right college that will give your child a great education for you at the least amount of money out of your pocket. After all you have spent thousands getting them to this point. They are your investment and you have done a great job getting them here. Contact SportsForce or a company like them early on. The money you spend with them will save you thousands in the long run. We found them after we had already spent countless hours and money looking at the big schools which were just a turn off to our son and the earlier you figure out what you really want will save you a lot of frustration later on. SportsForce is designed to flush out what’s important for your child as well as your family before you start, so take advantage of their years of experience and expertise. Having someone that your child can talk to other than you is invaluable. Andrew is a former collegiate baseball player and could relate to what our son was feeling and going through and he was able to get Austin to focus on what he wanted and what was important to him rather than what he thought we all wanted. I can’t thank Andrew enough! 5. How excited are you for your future in college? Austin: I am super excited about my future in college. I believe that God has some great things waiting for me in the near future through my college experience at APU. Parents: My son couldn’t have said it any better above. If you let go and let God good things happen. He wants you to be prepared and educated and that’s where SportsForce came in but in the end there is a school and a place for everyone. You have to trust and believe in that and let the process happen. We have friends that forced it to happen only to find out that it was the worst decision they had made. Their children have either left those schools or are miserable and unhappy. Don’t let that happen to you and your family. College is supposed to be a fun positive experience that helps set you up for the rest of your life. Trying to force your kid or trying to force a coach or college to take your kid is a recipe for disaster and no one will be happy. Our experience ended up being a very good and happy one and for that, we are extremely grateful. 6. How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses? Austin: My parents will be saving a minimum of $25,000 a year from being recruited plus any other grants or additional money I am eligible to receive. Parents: Well it’s up to Austin but based on what he has been awarded and looking out over the next fours years it’s going to be over $100,000.00. We are excited for the next chapter in our son’s life and look forward to watching him excel and play in college. 7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why? Austin: I would definitely recommend SportsForce to other student-athletes because they helped me with getting coaches to pay attention to my skillsets and ability. I believe APU came out and took a look at me as a result of my work with SportsForce. SportsForce helps with getting the schools you want to come out and see you and knowing how to talk to them when they do. Parents: I highly recommend getting involved with Andrew and his talented team as early on in the process as you can. It will save you a lot of frustration and money in the long run. His team is very knowledgeable and they can help in many ways. It was money well spent and we thank you guys for everything you have done for our son as well as our family. Jenna is next!   Our Mission at SportsForce Baseball: We are on a mission to help our select number of qualified and evaluated players maximize their recruiting offers and make the best college decision. Started by CEO & founder Andrew Beinbrink, SportsForce Baseball is a nationally recognized college recruiting advisory group with over 40 former college coaches, players, and MLB scouts in 10 different states. During the last 11+ years, we’ve helped over 1,000 players make their college commitments. Read below, why we are different from every recruiting group in the country. Why SportsForce is Different: * View our Home Page Video Unlike most recruiting companies, we do not just partner with anyone for our hands-on recruiting programs. Instead, we only partner with qualified players who meet our Five academic, athletic, and coachability selection factors. We evaluate between 10,000-12,000 players each summer and fall at top showcases and selectively advise, and advocate for only a limited number of players each year by directly contacting college coaches to help them maximize recruiting offers. Each of our expert college recruiters is limited to how many players they will advise so there is the best combination of hands-on guidance and personal recruiting outreach to college coaches. Social Media Exposure: We also utilize our growing Twitter following at @SportsForceBB which is followed by over 500 NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC coaches nationwide and growing fast. To Get Evaluated by Our Expert College Recruiting Staff: Option 1: Complete our Recruiting Questionnaire Option 2: Email us at scouting@sportsforceonline.com Options 3: DM us on Instagram @SportsForceBB or Twitter @SportsForceBB and share recent video, stats, or measurables (velocity, 60, exit speed, pop time, etc…) for our scouts to evaluate. Find out if Your Son’s Qualifies for One of Our Hands-On Recruiting Programs? Twitter Recruiting Education & College Needs Posts: We post ongoing recruiting education and post NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC needs year around. Follow us on Twitter @SportsForceBB account and join over 500 hundred NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JC coaches nationwide that follow us and growing fast. Tagging us: If you have some good video to share with us, make sure to tag us @SportsForceBB or DM us and we will review it.

We at SportsForce would like to congratulate Jessica Mangrobang on her commitment to Gonzaga University. Here is Jessica’s recruiting story and interview after her commitment. Good luck as a Bulldog!

1.) Share your recruiting story, status, and how SportsForce helping with the process.

The recruiting process actually took longer than I thought it would, but that is only because I wanted to make 100% sure that the college I would pick would be one of my favorites/best fit. Before September 1^st of my junior year, the recruiting process was a little bit hard only because the coaches are not allowed to approach you quite yet. That is where having Sportsforce was a nice asset. They were able to introduce me to all of the Division 1 colleges/universities that I wanted to go to well before that time. When September 1^st finally came in, I received a lot of text messages and emails from coaches. This is only because the coaches were able to get my information through Sportsforce. After seeing the replies that I got, that is when I started to narrow down my choices. I have a passion/curiosity for Aeronautical/Mechanical Engineering and so I was looking for a college that had my major. Aside from this, I also have a dream of someday becoming a professional tour golfer, and so I wanted a college/ university that would allow me to do both. The recruiting process for me was a lot of narrowing down and comparisons. After having a couple calls with different coaches, I started comparing how comfortable I would feel with them. After comparing the colleges with one another, I tried comparing how my grades and my athletics would compare with their academics/athletics. Again, lots of comparing and narrowing down. Once I narrowed it down to my top 3-4 universities, I compared the benefits of the colleges. I was able to get a few offers and I chose the best-fit university for me. After a lot of careful examinations, I committed to Gonzaga University in April of my Junior Year.

2.) What school are you going to, and why did you choose them?

I am going to Gonzaga University. I chose them because they had my major, which is Mechanical Engineering. They also have a really strong golf team which I liked. When I visited their university for an unofficial visit, I really enjoyed the cold weather (but that’s my opinion). The team was also really nice and welcoming and I felt really excited in thinking that I might join their team (and I did). The coaches were also really nice and I felt comfortable knowing that for my college career that I will have them to guide me. In all, the university was really nice. It gives me a chance to strive for my engineering goals along with my golf dreams. A bonus of going to Gonzaga for me is that it is also a Catholic Jesuit school. I always attended catholic school ever since Pre-K, so furthering my faith is also a nice bonus.

3.) What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process?

It is really nice to start early. Of course, you will see other people committing to colleges super early (like freshman/sophomore years), but do not worry too much about that. To be honest, I worried about it because some of my top colleges already had their players set in, but that led me to see a great university like Gonzaga. To players I would have to say, “Be very patient. All of this stress is worth it in the end. Trust me. I know the stress. It’s a lot, but once you start to dial in your choices, you eventually become very happy with your college/university. I know that your parents might push you harder to do stuff, but it’s for the best. Just be patient, it will come. You just have to do your part, too, though. The coaches want to talk to you, not your parents. Though it is nice to have your parents do everything for you, you can’t let them do EVERYTHING. You also need to go with what fits your standards the best. It took me a long time to figure out exactly what I wanted, but I eventually found it”.

4.) How excited are you for your future in college?

I am honestly very excited about college. It is a new experience and I am excited for traveling with the team and also growing up as my own person. I expect that college will demand a lot from me and I am somewhat ready to face it. I am looking forward to furthering my education and also furthering my golf career.

5.) How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses?

According to information online, I am saving my family about $53,316+ (per year) or, over $213,000 total in college expenses since I was offered a full ride through my recruiting process.

6.) Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why?

I would really recommend Sportsforce to other student-athletes because, without their help, my critical information probably wouldn’t have reached my college target list, including Gonzaga (which is most likely how they were able to find me). It also made it a lot easier because they are able to personally introduce me to the colleges that were a fit both athletically and academically. They also give a lot of other help when it comes to checking up on your progress. They give a lot of tips and help on how to react and respond to coaches and how to deal with certain situations.

Over the last five years, SportsForce has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.