Hall of Fame

Video transcript: I actually had a kid reach out to me on, I think it was Twitter. And he was asking me, he was like, hey, like, I'm thinking about next play. What do you think about it? And I was like, dude, absolutely do it. Like, I can show whatever this stuff from this. And so, like, I don't know anybody that's seeing to do you? I mean, like, I'll like, do it. You learn a lot more than just how to get recruited. Yeah. It helps you build a brand, like, build yourself. You're definitely held accountable. And all your stuff, I mean, there's weekly calls, there's weekly forms you to fill out. There's like a win for the week, which is something we do. You have to fill out your next play, which is what you're doing next week. There's always the next play. They're making sure you're doing conditioning. They want proof. Like, they're not just asking you. Like, you have actually submit stuff, like showing them. But, like, if you don't, it gets hard to stay focused if you're not doing the work. You kind of walked me through, like the platform and all the lessons and stuff, and I was like, oh, this is like exactly what I need. Like, how to reach out to coaches, what to say. And so I was like, this isn't like other people that, like, reach out for you, like, or do stuff or, like, there's like a basic format. They send a thousand emails, random code, like. Like, it can work, but, like, it doesn't. And so this really helps. Like, you learn how to do it and, like learn how to problem solve and do a different stuff and, like become. You don't only gain, like scholarship and stuff, like recruitment knowledge through, like, you become a businessman. Super excited to have Mister Narcy Wickley here. Really incredible story of someone who started with very little exposure and comes from a small school and turned it into a d one offer. Really inspirational story and I'm excited to allow him to share it here, but narc, quick. Share with us your class, your name, your school position, all that fun stuff. I'm a 2024. I play edge or d end. I go to Alamo Heights high school, which is in San Antonio. We're a five a d two school. So smaller into the five a. Awesome man. Cool. And so walk me through a little bit of where you were at in the recruiting process when we first met. Didn't really have any offers. Didn't have a lot of traction. Had talked to some schools my sophomore year, gone to some camps that was all good and fun, but junior year didn't really, like, talk to many people. I wasn't focused, but I just had a lot going on. I guess it was just a little harder to put all my focus into it. And so then senior year comes around. It's kind of my last shot, so it didn't really have a lot of traction or offers. And so when. When did you make the decision to say, like, I need to get on this recruiting process. I need to start doing something here, I guess. I have a friend, Jackson Hildebrand, who, he had committed tech, and so he had kind of gone through the recruiting process, and so he'd committed, and he was leaving for the spring semester. And so I was like, shoot, like, there's already guys leaving for the spring semester. Like, if I really want to do this, like, I got to get it done. And so talked to my parents about it. They were on board. My mom had found out about your program a couple months earlier, so she'd given me the book. Hadn't really looked at it much, just whatever had stuff going on. But then she was like, what about that? And so I was like, oh, okay. Like, I look into it, kind of read a few pages, like, all right, like, this seems whatever, and then agreed to try it out. What were some of the things that really worked for you when it came to the recruit? Like, when it came to outreach and DM's and using social media, what were some of the things you did that led to success for you with outreach? I would say the thing that led to most success for me was definitely Twitter. I don't know. You follow a coach and, like, ten more coaches pop down with someone you can follow. Like, you can follow them. There's lists you can find of coaches. Like, I would follow as many coaches as you can. Try to get those, and if they follow you back, you say, hey, coach, thank you for following me back. The DM's are opening. You're sending them something, and you always want to make sure whatever, like, the last message you sent was powerful or whatever, like, that first part of that last message you sent is like grabbing like a hook almost, because that's all they're going to see when they look at it. So if your last message was linked, they're not just going to click on a link. So I definitely say Twitter is one of the biggest things. And if there's a school you really want, call them, reach out, go to the school. I feel like that was an important one for me. Was going to the school for Tarleton and then becoming friends with other players because everyone's helping each other repost other players things, follow them. Like, you reposting another player's thing isn't going to take anything away from you. And make sure you're posting about yourself, too. But, like, reposting some player, getting work or doing something like that, like your teammate or whatever, like somebody getting an offer. And it's also helpful because then you have those friends. Like, you're not always gonna have those relationships at your school and people aren't always gonna know. Like, your normal friends aren't really gonna know how all that stuff works and all that, but you can talk to them, be like, oh, yeah, my school's like this. Like, this is how our recruiting stuff is. It kind of helped them. Love that. Okay, good. Can you describe a challenge that you faced during the recruiting process, like, on your path to earning a scholarship? I guess you had to have a lot of patience. That was a big challenge, is having patience. You'll have your hot days where it's like every single coach is messaging you, you following from all these different coaches. Like, you, all this stuff, you have this traction and then it's like two days later, none. And so, which wasn't used. If you're reaching out and doing your stuff, like, whatever, you always have coaches reaching out to you every day. But sometimes you like, am I doing something wrong now or did I do something wrong? You kind of go back and think. And it's. I guess that's the hard part, is like, second guessing yourself. It's a big obstacle. It's also easy to get caught up in, like, oh, Twitter's working. I'm only getting messages on Twitter and straying away from the emails and stuff like that. You know what I mean? Yeah. Where, like, you really. You need to stay on top of that, too, because, like, at the school, I'm committed to Tarleton, one of our coaches, he doesn't really communicate on phone. He's an older guy. He only really communicates on email. He doesn't communicate on Twitter or anything. I reached out to him multiple times on Twitter and I was like, hmm, not getting a response. Reach out to him on email and I get a response. Mmm. So the importance of hitting and using every angle, every angle, so important. It's even useful to never have a bad relationship with coaches, even if it's a small school that reaches out to you or something like that. Like, I don't know, I felt like at first I was kind of like, it doesn't matter. Like, I have these bigger offers. Like, I don't need to pay attention to that, but one of those coaches I was talking to ended up from one of those smaller schools while I was talking to him in the recruiting thing was, I was just like, oh, I'll talk to him, whatever. Like, smaller school, but, like, I'll talk to him, like, keep my options open. And he ended up getting picked up by d one two weeks after I started talking to him. He was coming from a d two. So it's just, like, stuff like that. Like, you just want to keep a good relationship with people, I guess. Yeah, like, always keep responding. Like, don't get lazy. Love it. Can you just quick share your story of making the decision that you were going to go to Tarleton and then you got an offer from Lamar, but you knew you should have had more, and so just share the story. So I guess it was probably getting closer to signing day, and they'd already had early signing day, so this was a normal signing day, and really had picked up a couple d two offers, d three naias. And then I had gotten one division one offer to lamar, and I knew I, like, I wanted more than that. Like, I. Lamar is a good school. Love lamar. I ended up going on a visit. Love the coaches. Great program. I think they're gonna run the southland this year, and they're definitely gonna be dominant in fcs, but so, like, something about tarleton had just been, like, calling to me, so kept reaching out to them, kept reaching out to them, kept reaching out to them, and hadn't really heard a response. And then to talk to Richie, basically ask him what to do, and he's just like, it's like, you. You're running out of time. Like, you just have, like, you have to go. And so I decided to talk to my parents, decided to go up. I ended up waking up the next morning, like, I think it was like, three in the morning, far away from San Antonio. It's up in Steamville. An hour. It's like an hour south of fort Worth. So we drove all the way up there, got a box of donuts to give to the coach, walk around the field, like, trying to figure out, like, where the coach's office was. Like, driving around, and I see a player walking this area, and I was like, hey, like, is this the coach's office? And he was like, are the football officers? He was like, yeah. And so I walk in the door with him, and he's like, the coaches offices are that way. Like, I don't know you're looking for, but they're that way. And so I walk in, and I barge in, and I was just into some dude's office, and I was like, basically, like, wave like hello and, like, just keep walking. And I go and sit in the lobby. First. I talk to the people at the desk, and I'm like, hey, I'm looking for coach head. Like, I brought him this box of donuts. Was wondering if you could get a moment to talk to me. And they're like, okay. So he comes out, and he's basically, hey, what do you need? I'm busy. He's a lot going on. He was just in a meeting. And so he's basically like, who is this kid? I walk, hand him the box of donuts. He's like, hey, like, I brought these for you. Would you mind taking a moment to look at my film? And he was like, oh, yeah. Like, sure, sure. And we started watching it, and then his eyes kind of light up, and he, like, goes into full robot recruiter mode and is like, give me one sec. I'll be right back. And so beforehand, he had. He was like, oh, fill out this form. And I was like, oh. I felt like he was already blowing me off. And he goes into the back, and that coach whose office I'd barge into happened to be the defensive line coach. And so they come out and basically bring me out, and they're like, hey, why don't you come back here? And they bring me into their film room, which was newly redone, very, very nice new film room. So we go into the film room, and we sit down, and they offered me. I was pretty shocked. You had spent a lot of time doing a bunch of work leading up to that to prepare. Like we'd been game planning. How many times did you role play and talk through it and had. And have the confidence to be like, I could totally do this. I think I called you the night before, and then driving up, I think I called you, too, and I called you right after. I remember knowing exactly what to say and all that stuff and saying the right things. I don't know. It didn't really hit me until that night, and I was just like, man, like, that's crazy. I don't know. I guess it took me, like a week or so to actually process it, I guess. Did you call me right after? Yeah, I called you right after, and I was just like, uh, yeah, this happened. Okay. Obviously, like, when you were starting the recruiting journey, what inspired you or influenced you? To say, you know, I want to work with Richie and have him mentor me through this process. Well, my mom brought it to me, and she was like, there's this thing. And I was like, okay. And so I'd gone to the web seminar. Both my siblings are division one athletes. Like, we've seen all the recruiting services, all of the different stuff. Like, you see the recruiting services or, like, stuff like that. I wouldn't even call this a recruiting service. But you see the recruiting things and you're just like, we ignore them, at least. And so kind of caught my mom's eye, and so that's why I was like, okay, like, if it's catching her eye, like, this is definitely, like, something I should look into. So then we went to the web seminar, and I was just like, this seems pretty solid. Like, it's stuff, like, we needed. And so that's what. Kind of what we were looking for. And so we found you, and then it was more like, oh, he knows how this works. Like, he played in college. Like, he's done this. Something like we should look into. So we talked to you. I was also trying to see if it was realistic of me going d one, because, like, my siblings, obviously division one. But, like, it doesn't mean anything. I want to know if it's realistic. And so you take a look at my stuff, you're like, it's realistic. And I was like, cool. And then you kind of walked me through, like, the platform and all the lessons and stuff, and I was like, oh, this is, like, exactly what I need. Like, how to reach out to coaches, what to say. And so I was like, this isn't like other people that, like, reach out for you, like. Or do stuff or, like, there's, like, a basic format. They send a thousand emails, random code. Like, there's an. Like, it can work, but, like, it doesn't. And so this really helps. Like, you learn how to do it and, like, learn how to problem solve and do what different stuff. And, like, become. You don't all only gain, like, scholarships and stuff, like, recruitment knowledge through, like, you become a businessman. And so, like, I come from business family. I already know a lot of business and, like, a lot of stuff. So I kind of like a jump ahead in that aspect. But actually being able to, like, put into words and see how you talk to certain people and do things like that, it's definitely something helpful from the process. I freaking love that, bro. I love that, man. Where do you feel like you've grown the most in the past? What eight months or whatever. Where do you feel like you've grown the most going through this? Because it's a lot, dude. Like, I know. It's like. It definitely is a lot. I would definitely say patience. Like, patience is. You definitely have to have a lot of patience and then just, like, the grit to do it, to get through the levels, to, like, take the time to do that. Yeah, definitely having patience and then not procrastinating. Yeah, love that, man. Love it. When you said it wasn't recruiting service, what did you mean by that? Because it's not. But a lot of people do think that's what it is. It's not just a recruiting service. I feel like recruiting service is, like, you go in and they're supposed to get you offers. I feel like it kind of goes up the old parable where it's, you give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. You teach a man to fish, he'll be fed forever. Like, he'll feed himself forever. So I thought it kind of goes with that. Like, it's not just getting you the stuff like that. No person just going to get you offers. It's about learning how to put yourself out there. Like, learning how to display yourself, I guess. Yes. That's what it is. It's not like a recruiting service. It's not, like, just applied to football. Like, I already have my offer. I'm already committed, and, like, the stuff I've learned is going to help me with, like, nil stuff. I've talked to people in business my whole life, with my family and stuff. But, like, actually, like, talking to people you don't already know or, like, you're not being introduced to and stuff like that. Like, that's a whole different thing. Cold, cold, cold sales. My last question for you, man. What would you say to, like, aspiring, you know, sophomores, juniors that are thinking about working with me. But they were in your shoes, right? They're like, I'm unsure. I don't really know Richie yet. I don't know if it's legit. What would you say to them? Funny enough, I actually had a kid reach out to me on, I think it was Twitter. And he was asking me, he was like, hey, like, I'm thinking about next play. What do you think about it? And I was like, dude, absolutely do it. Like, I can show whatever this stuff from this man. Like, it's a. It's a good platform. I was like, you definitely have to, like, go through the course and take all of it in and then do everything and then see what's working for you. And I was like, stuff that wasn't working for me was working for other kids, too. Mm hmm. And so, like, I don't know anybody that's singing to do you. I mean, like, I'll, like, do it. You learn a lot more than just how to get recruited. Yeah. It helps you build a brand, like, build yourself. You're definitely hold. Held accountable. And all your stuff, I mean, there's weekly calls, there's weekly forms you to fill out. There's, like, a win for the week, which is something we do. You have to fill out your next play, which is what you're doing next week. There's always the next play. And then what you did that week, what you're doing next week, and then, like, what you're doing to get better, they're making sure you're doing conditioning. They want proof. Like, they're not just asking you. Like, you have to actually submit stuff, like, showing them. Yeah. And so at first, I was like, oh, like, that's kind of annoying or whatever. I have to fill this form, but, like, if you don't, it gets hard to stay focused if you're not doing the work. 100%. It's awesome. Narci, man, it's been. It's been an absolute pleasure to work with you, man. You're the, like, when I set out to say, hey, I'm going to work with. With high school players that want to get to the next level, that I know what it feels like, and I was in their shoes. You're the guy. So it's been awesome working with you, man. And I'm so excited to watch what happens over the next four to five years because there's a lot of opportunity ahead of you, man. And I'm not just saying that. Like, I'm super excited for you, man. Yes, sir. Thank you. You got it, brother. All right. Thanks, man. All right. Bye, Richie. Have a great night.

Video transcript: I really just wanted to get an opportunity playing football, and we just heard very good things, so we joined and committed to it. And then to see that I could go somewhere and play football, the results speak for themselves. If someone asked you, Travis, like, hey, should I work with Richie? What would you say? Yes. If you want to get an offer, I love it, man. All right, so just quick off the bat, Travis, just tell what school do you go to? What class, what position? My name's Travis Grayson. I'm a 2024 quarterback. I go to Espinito charter High School. Awesome. So, can you share a little bit about where you were at in the recruiting process when we first met? I was very new to it, and I barely did anything for it before I started with you. So when we met, you were basically just getting started with the entire process? Yeah, I did very little before that. And so can you describe what the challenge, or challenge is that you were facing on the path to earning a scholarship? Mostly just getting in contact with coaches in a meaningful way, I guess, would be the hardest challenge I faced. Yeah. What were some of the things that you were trying to do before we met? I did, like, NCSA or I just looked them up on their website and then tried to email them. Okay. They just weren't answering or. Yeah, mostly they weren't answering in any meaningful way, at least. So you were doing some things you were just weren't getting, like, any type of connection? Of any type? Not really, no. Okay, so walk me through. When we first started working together, you really hit the ground running kind of walk through, share a little bit of your experience of what some of the activities you were doing and what was working for you and what that was like. When I first got here, I did as many lessons as I could, as quickly as I could, and then I just started emailing and calling the coaches on the list, I guess, from each school I wanted to look at. And so what was that like in the beginning? Like, picking up the phone and making calls? I mean, I would be on the call with you in the morning, and then I would practice, or I would call you in the afternoon and then practice some more, and then I finally got a script together with your help, and then I would apply for all my calls after that, and it made it a lot easier. Yeah. And so what was kind of walk through some of the experience you had of, like, not knowing what, and then you started practicing. You knew what you were saying, and then kind of what was happening as a result of that, it started getting easier and then I could react more to what they're saying, more smoothly, I guess. And did it lead to anything? Yeah, I got several opportunities, and even an offer after, like, a couple weeks, like, it was really quick and got a lot more responses, too. Yeah. And that's super rare. So for anyone watching, like, the odds of you getting an offer within a month is really rare, but you really hit the pound, the pavement, man. You made the calls. You did a lot of things that most people will never do, they'll talk about, but they'll never do, and you did them. And so even though you put yourself in a position to get that offer, I mean, it's impressive, but I don't want people to think that that's the norm, either. So can you share a little bit about what that was like, getting your first offer? It was pretty cool. I mean, it was exciting. And then to see that I could go somewhere and play football was really cool also. Yeah. That's awesome. What made you choose to work with me? I really just wanted to get an opportunity playing football, and my family got recommended, and we just heard very good things, so we joined and committed to it. Awesome. So, as a result of us working together, Travis, where do you feel like you've grown the most? In my ability to do calls, like I said earlier, like, a lot of practice with it, and my confidence over a call grew. Okay, what about, like, communicating with coaches? I definitely improved on that. Got a lot of experience and good recommendations to go, like, visit these schools and, yeah, got a lot more practice with interacting with coaches or just superiors in general. It's awesome, man. What would you share to an aspiring athlete, you know, a sophomore, junior that's thinking about working with me, what would you say to them? They're like, I'm unsure. I don't know. I don't know if it's legit or I don't know if he's really going to work with me and jump on the phone with me and all that stuff. What would you say? I'd say you've done a really good job at finding a time to meet, and the results speak for themselves, obviously. And I think that you guys did a good job of meeting with me whenever I was available and then making it really easy to. Okay. And so if someone asked you, Travis, like, hey, should I work with Richie? What would you say? Yes, if you want to get an offer. I love it, man. I love it. Travis, man, it's been an absolute pleasure working with you, and I'm. I'm really excited to continue the journey with you through college as well. Yeah, I'm excited, too. Thank you. Cool, man.

Video transcript: We got Cooper King here. Super proud of this kid. Tell me a little bit about where you were at in the recruiting process when we first met. So, yeah, when we first met, it was I was really behind. So, I was coming into my senior year, no contact with any colleges. I didn't really know where to start. I got late into the game, and Richie totally helped me out with all the steps I needed to contact colleges, get my scholarships, my highlight reels, all that. And your program really helped me structure those, and, yeah, helped me along the way. He really kick started my journey, even way late in the process. I love that, man. And even when we first started. Right, like, what was kind of the biggest challenge that you were facing to get there, to get us to get a scholarship to play? Was it getting in front of coaches? Was it exposure? So, yeah, in my mind, it was a little nerve wracking talking to the coaches, but, like, at the end of the day, they're just people, and you just got to talk to them with confidence. You got to sell yourself. Well, it's really just about, like, being yourself and not making it, like, a huge deal, and you just got to do it. So, once you got that. That offer, because I know you had a couple little small ones when we first started working, but then you got, you know, Hillsdale, which is a great program. What was that experience like for you? Oh, I felt on top of the world. It was great to receive the scholarship and, like, be able to pay for my college and help my parents out that way. My parents were super proud of me. It made my whole week still really happy about it and grateful to God that I was able to pull that off. It was amazing. I love it. So, what do you feel like has been, like, the biggest area of growth for you? My biggest area of growth, I'd have to say. I'm just putting myself out there, to be honest. Keeping it organized, even setting out, like, a calendar or something, just in writing, like, oh, I'm gonna set aside an hour to go do this, send these emails, make these phone calls. I'd say that's probably the most important part. And just staying consistent. Yeah. Love that, man. And so, just a question. Why did you choose, like, there's a lot of app options out there, a lot of programs and stuff like that. Picking somebody who's gonna mentor you through the process, that's a pretty big decision, right? Why did you choose. You end up choosing to work with myself. So we've been talking to some other people, similar style of you, but you just seem the most professional, the most knowledgeable, I'd say. And you definitely hold us accountable. The best. And just. Yeah. Everything about, like, this whole program was just fantastic. Dude, that's awesome, bro. I really appreciate that. And, Cooper, it's been. It was an absolute pleasure working with you, man. And I'm super excited to continue to watch your growth. And where you go from here sounds good, right?

Video transcript: My name is Matteo bueni, and I'm a 2024 running back from Helena, Montana. I go to capitol High. Can you describe a significant challenge you faced on your path to earning a scholarship and playing college football? I would say significant challenge here is exposure to coaches. It's hard to get exposure be seen by coaches elsewhere unless you, you know, you're going to camps outside of the state or you're one of those, like, 0.1% guys that are just the best of the best. What was the goal for you when it came to college football? Out of high school? Yeah, I would say beginning of high school, really freshman year, I was expected to be a starter, but then coaches talked about having me come up and play, and I thought there were going to be coaches coming to me saying, hey, we like the way you play. And I always wanted to play for either Hawaii, Montana State, and I grew up watching Carol as well, right here in my hometown. And I thought I'd have offers and thought that I'd go to one of those schools and play there. And that, for me, was kind of that eye opening moment that, heck, I got to do something about this. You know, I'm heading into my senior year. I've got no offers. I got to do something. So, for you, what were some of the things that you felt you've been able to implement and do that helped you get to where you are now? With you, I would definitely say developing just my confidence in my abilities. I thought that because I wasn't getting any exposure to these big schools that I always wanted to go to, that I'm not good enough. And working with you, I've realized it's not that I'm not good enough, it's that they don't know who I am. And then working with you, confidence and reaching out. You know, before working with you, Mister Contardisi, I never would have cold called an athletic department of a school. So where do you feel you've grown the most over the past, what, eight, nine months or so? I would say I've grown a lot with my communication abilities and then confidence, knowing that I'm gonna prepare myself the best for this opportunity. And it's not about what other people say about me. It's not about how many offers I have. It's about my preparation. Yeah. And how many total offers did you end up with? I think there's, what, two or three? I believe three as of now. Love that man. You did something that most athletes will never do. You went to a division one program, flew there, walked in, followed a step by step process, and drummed up an opportunity. What was that like? Heck, I think that's about the most nervous I've ever felt in my life. And this opportunity is up to me. It's up to what I say in this moment, what I say in what I do. That was so nerve wracking. As I was walking with the strength coach, she took the time to tour me around the campus, show me all their facilities. I was just thinking, like, Richie was right. Like, heck, this is working. I love that, man. Okay, so my last question, Mateo, if someone's thinking about working with me and they're unsure, they're like, well, I don't know what it would be like working with Richie. What would you share with them? I would say trust in Mr. Contardasi. Trust in the process. Yeah. I love that. Awesome. He knows what he's doing. He's been through all of this. He's walked in our shoes, and he knows what to do. Yeah. That's awesome, man. I really appreciate that. It's been an absolute pleasure working with you, man. Thank you. Awesome. Been a pleasure working with you as well. Awesome.

Video transcript: Matteo is a senior in high school in Helmet, Montana. He plays football, he can play any position, but he really loves running back. Can you share a significant challenge that he faced as a player and maybe you faced as a parent on this path to earning a college scholarship and getting a chance to play at the next level? There's so many hurdles and challenges, especially in recruiting. Today, recruiting was done in a completely different way and kids now, if they're going to be seen and how they brand themselves, market themselves and get their name out there amongst thousands of other kids in a digital world, and that is so new for us. We might have some expertise and knowledge as parents, but it's a different world out there. When you were looking for support in this area, what were some of the things you were doing to find support? What were some of the things you had tried? Before we met, we used other platforms and had some success, but it was so challenging being pretty new to it and just not knowing what to look for and then how to connect with the right people. I think one of the pieces that we realized was missing is the mentoring. Mentoring, coaching. I think we're decently intelligent people, but having somebody different than a child's parents that he looks up to as a mentor and I think maybe lead up to some other questions you may have. Richie is seeing that you could be that person for Matteo, and I think through time have proven that you are. What were some of those things that you and Katie, you as well, were looking for to get filled for Mateo? One piece of many, I think, would be somebody you, Richie, that can walk Mateo through how to be tactful in communications with whoever he's dealing with in this recruiting realm. I think one other huge piece, how to take rejection and how to look at that in positivity and go, you know what? Thank you for being honest with me. I can now go to the next one. Are there any areas where you've seen, like, areas of growth with Matteo over the past, what, ten months or so? I see it in the way that he articulates, carries himself and the confidence that he has in presenting that. He's not that kid with this timid approach, but he's just matured into this young adult. And I think a lot of it has to do with this coaching that he's received. He did something that 99.99% of athletes won't do and he walked right in the front door. So what was that experience like for you? It was just like, oh, is this gonna happen? Because we were just in a support role and it's all on his shoulders. And he was confident. He walked right in the door and we were wandering around looking for people and I was just so proud of him because we know it inside, but for people to believe it, they actually have to take the steps themselves. And he did it. So I'm thinking about potentially working with Richie. What advice would you have or what thoughts would you have for them? You're a great mentor for these kids that they look up to you. You've been through, if not all of this, much of this, and can speak to the specifics from life experience. I think for those parents that, you know, you have good advice, but you know your kid's not listening to it. They just hear it in a different way, from a different lens and perspective. And your role as a parent is different in this. To realize you're not the right person to deliver some of these messages, I think don't hesitate. I think we love Matteo working directly with you and us being able to work with you and your dad, so don't hesitate. And I would say to parents who are so close and really nervous about this next step that they should trust the process and kind of get out of the way so their kids can work with you because they'll be more bought into it if they're doing the work and it's not mom or dad pushing them.

Video transcript: You. He has always had big dreams. Dream was to get on that tv and play like everybody else. You know, he gets injured in the spring, so he didn't get to do spring ball. He goes through, you know, six months of healing and comes into his, his senior year ready to go, and then has a car accident. And that sidelines him. One thing led to another. He didn't get the opportunity. He kept saying, I'm going to go, I'm going to play. And he was there for practice, he was there for the games, and he just kept wanting that moment. So he goes through his entire senior year, and there was a lot of heated times between us as parents and him. My name is Blake Steed and I am a 2024 linebacker with Rockwall Heath High School. I've always had the goal to want to play college. They asked for my transcript. I sent that in. It took a little while, so I became a little anxious. So Blake sends in the transcript and replies back with, all of a sudden, I scrolled down to the bottom and there were two attachments, and I was like, what the heck is this? Here's your official offer. And Blake and I just kind of looked at each other, really. So he turns around and calls mom, calls everybody and goes, I got a scholarship. We get a screenshot from him and it was like, I got an offer. So I read through the email pretty boldly, said, congratulations on your new scholarship offer. And I immediately went wide eyed and just smiled to the top of my face. Like I could not believe it. Over the past six months, I think that I've honestly grown, and I think with Richie's program, it honestly just showed me that if I wanted it, I really had to go out and get it, rather than just sitting there and letting life happen. The difference between next play and those others was those others said, here's a platform, work it. Richie came in and said, here's a plan, and I'm going to take you step by step. I mean, I can see his confidence out. When we talked to coaches, when we were out in public, in general, talking to the general public. That confidence that Richie gave him caused him to speak to these coaches like he was supposed to, and that's how he ended up with the scholarship. If we'd have never met Richie six months ago, I think Blake would just be sitting at the same place. I don't think Blake would have pushed it and known the steps to take and the recruiting process in general, like he's learned since being with Richie. If I never met Richie, I would probably be just stuck. I wouldn't know how to talk to coaches. I think I really struggled just even sitting down writing the first word in an email. With the next play program, I just feel like he has been able to take that next step and not only be successful at it, but be confident at it. So it was more of being able to have that one on one interaction and having a plan to follow that ultimately got him his scholarship. Nextplay puts it into such a concise plan. Step one, step two, step three. It's very straightforward, but also the fact that there's unique, individualized coaching specifically for where that athlete is at that time. Getting to know what and how to do it really helped me to become more confident in talking to the coaches.