Play2Pay: How to Market Your Student-Athlete for Scholarship Money

New guide for Student Athletes to help them find the right school, pay the right price, and let the student play instead of pay the full retail price for a college education.
The power team of Beth Walker, Founder of College Funding Coaches, and Honoree Corder, Personal Transformation Expert, have created a guide designed for families who want to send their students to college without going broke, Play2Pay: How to Market Your Student-Athlete for Scholarship Money.

"Parents who view partial athletic scholarship money as part of their overall funding strategy for their student athlete's education don't always know how to make that happen," said Beth Walker, "The athletes who most likely aren't going to get a full ride still have a lot of opportunities, but they have to market themselves strategically in order to get those dollars."

Play2Pay is a how-to guide for college-bound athletes who desire an education that is partially paid for by participating in athletics and that is, in fact, their Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, Gold Medal, Wimbledon, or World Cup. The real pay off being a fabulous education at a fraction of the price, with the bonus by-product being they get to participate in a sport they love at the collegiate level.

"Your son or daughter can play instead of pay for their college education, but the odds are this is one piece of the funding puzzle, not the entire solution for the challenges you face in paying for today’s increasingly expensive college education," says Beth, "and, this is a marketing challenge above all else."

The statistics are grim: 61.6% of undergraduate students borrowed money for funding their education in the form of student loans and their average cumulative debt amounted to $17,878; 13.5% of parents borrowed to fund their children’s education, amassing an average PLUS loan debt of $23,298. With a plan to get money up front, student athletes and their parents can borrow less money and therefore not have that debt (and the interest that goes with it) after college.

"Parents and their student-athletes must think strategically and act intentionally with regard to their college education," Honoree Corder shares, "If they don't, the cost may be devastating. A solid marketing plan dramatically increases the student-athlete's chances of securing available monies, and also provides skills they will need later in life to market their professional skills."

Play2Pay is a step-by-step guide that includes templates for marketing to coaches, including sample cover letters, a resume, email campaign, talking points and much more! It's available in multi-digital format through Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94454, and on your Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Play2Pay-Market-Student-Athlete-Sc ....

Legacy


“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” ~Stanford commencement speech, June 2005

“We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent."

Because this is our life. Life is brief, and then you die, you know? And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it.” ~Fortune

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.” ~Stanford commencement speech, June 2005

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” ~Stanford commencement speech, June 2005

“You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” ~Inc. Magazine

“We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent.

"Because this is our life. Life is brief, and then you die, you know? And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it.” ~Fortune

"Almost everything–all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.” ~Stanford commencement speech, June 2005

“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” ~Fortune

“I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” ~Unknown

RIP, Steve Jobs. You've contributed to the world in amazing ways, and inspired all of us to do more of the same.

3 Best Ways to Get New Clients


You have quite a few options when it comes to generating new business: cold-calling, lots of "general networking," and advertising in publications, just to name three. However, you have a finite amount of time, and it's best to use your time intentionally in every area of your business, including business generation.

Here are 3 of the best:
  1. By referral from a current or past client: Who better to speak for your work than someone who's paid (or is still paying) for it? Do you have a system for asking for referrals from your clients?
  2. By referral from a strategic partner: A credible fellow professional, who has your target market but is not in competition with you can provide ideal client referrals on a consistent basis. Do you have intentional strategic partner relationships with complimentary service providers who are face-to-face with your ideal clients daily?
  3. By putting yourself in the path of new business: Where do your potential ideal clients go? Do they attend association meetings, serve on Board of Directors of non-profits, have Rotary memberships? Go only to the places where you ideal clients go. It will save you time, energy and money.
I see professionals attending every networking event, going to every opening, celebration, coffee, launch, and luncheon, only to have nothing to show for it ... because their potential ideal clients aren't there, too. Be sure that there's a high ROI on your marketing and networking activities by doing the above three actions consistently. You'll be delighted with your results!

Honorée has dedicated her life to being a positive force for good. She writes personal and professional growth books for professionals, and The Successful Single Mom book series. As an executive coach and corporate trainer, she turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how she can specifically help you or your organization, click here, and visit her website here.