Homeschool… Athlete? Yes, hundreds of homeschoolers all over the country spend their PE and extracurricular hours participating in organized high school sports (of every sport) with other homeschoolers, many times against private or other homeschool teams (some of you know this full-well, busy busy!). Furthermore, in certain states, homeschool athletes are competing along with public school athletes due to state rules…
All of the above being the case, the same opportunities exist for talented and driven homeschool athletes (as with ANY other athletes) to earn collegiate sports scholarships. But, being a long time high school coach (public, private, and homeschool) and college coach, I realize that the great number of parents are unsure about the first step of many towards collegiate sports scholarships! In light of the previous, I formed Truth-Spin, Inc. —Eric C. Taylor, Truth-Spin, Inc. Founder / CEO
Truth-Spin, Inc., founded in Atlanta, Georgia and now based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the only known homeschool-run sports consulting company in the country. It was started by Eric C. Taylor, a former homeschool student athlete who wants to help other homeschool student athletes follow in his footsteps. Offering a truthful spin on the process, he leads student athletes and their families toward adequate sports scholarship funding at the collegiate level. Eric says, “I was a homeschool athlete who God blessed to play collegiate athletics (on scholarship, at two colleges) and then to later coach NCAA soccer at a university… I now return to my homeschool friends to make easier the path for them to do the very same.”
Eric knows that the decision to homeschool often places families outside of traditional support networks. Without a high school guidance counselor to advise students on choosing a college and applying for scholarships, it can be difficult for homeschool parents to help their kids maximize all of their opportunities. The mission of Truth-Spin, Inc. is to equip homeschool athletes (of all sports, 9th-12th grade) and their families with the step-by-step guidance needed to secure a college scholarship. Truth-Spin, Inc. is able to give homeschool athletic clients:
- The ability to be ultra-narrow in college choices.
- A greatly increased chance of getting an adequate collegiate sports scholarship.
- Improved chances of finding the “perfect” collegiate campus/collegiate sports program (major, the right campus, distance from home, the right coach, etc.).
- The benefit of making the path as smooth as possible (and, yes, this is possible).
Eric, a self-described Navy brat and “Forever-Homeschooler,” has always been a soccer enthusiast. As a homeschooled athlete (7th-12th grade), he played soccer with a high school team called the Beach Breakers when he lived in Virginia. He played soccer on scholarship at Rochester College in Michigan for two years (1998-2000) before moving on to Freed-Hardeman University in Tennessee, where he also played soccer (2000-2002) and then was invited to the pro soccer ranks. But Eric admits, “Simply, without the Cross of Christ Jesus… all the goals I scored and opposition I counteracted as a youngster, in high school, in college, in pro soccer don’t mean very much to me — soccer is just soccer … soccer is not the end-all.”
After earning his degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism, Eric became a full-time English, Journalism, and Special Ed teacher. He wrote a book of poems, A Day for Every Poem & a Poem for Every Day. Eric also served as a soccer coach from 2003-2013. He was the head girls coach at Gallup Catholic High School, assistant boys coach at Greater Atlanta Christian School (which won a state prep title in 2007), head boys soccer coach at Washington Middle School in Albuquerque, head women’s soccer coach at West Mesa High School in Albuquerque, head soccer coach at East Mountain High School in Tijeras, New Mexico, and he led the women’s program at Ohio Valley University (an NCAA Division II institution) in West Virginia. As a college coach he actively recruited homeschoolers.
Because of his broad knowledge of the public, private, charter, homeschool, and collegiate athletic/academic systems, Eric is uniquely qualified to help deserving athletes navigate to collegiate sports scholarships. He travels across the United States giving motivational and instructional talks on strengthening existing homeschool sports and social groups, as well as spotting sports talent. Eric serves as a source of encouragement and advice for many homeschool sports families and groups all over because he once was one of them. Eric says, “I saw a need and am working to fill that need for homeschooled/Christian families all over this country.”
Eric’s mother Juanita – a veteran sports mom, former teacher, professional secretary, and pastoral counselor – is the office director and bookkeeper at Truth-Spin, Inc. Also on staff is Eric’s wife, Felicia Guliford, a high school cross-country/track champion who won four consecutive girl’s titles in 1998-2001. She was a runner at the University of Tennessee (where she double-majored in biology and Spanish), and also coached the boys and girls cross country and track teams at Gallup High School. Felicia is currently a third year medical student at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Eric says, “Since 2007, the homeschool community has gotten a chance to see and hear that our years in the NCAA, our time as high school coaches, and as collegiate athletes ourselves has been put to good use – and…our heart is always for the homeschool student athlete.”
No longer will parents have to make the college sports search their part-time job. No longer will talented high school athletes have to settle for whatever is “left over.” If you know of any homeschool athletes who would like to play their sport in college on scholarship while pursuing their degree, tell them about Truth-Spin, Inc. They know their stuff, work quickly, and are an affordable way to turn dreams into reality. Truth-Spin, Inc. boasts great relationships with many colleges and universities (both Christian and non-Christian) at a variety of sporting levels (NCAA 1, 2, 3, NAIA, NCCAA, NJCAA, USCAA, AII, Independent, etc.). For a partial listing of colleges that Truth-Spin, Inc. can solicit on your behalf, see: http://www.truth-spininc.com/college-tour.php.
Eric concludes, “we look forward to increasing the number of home school athletes on campus (the RIGHT campus!) and performing at the “next level” of athletics. There are quite a few of us that have made it in collegiate sports, but many more need to know that they can! God bless you richly and keep homeschooling!”
Want to play sports at the collegiate level? Give it a SPIN…
Know someone who wants to play? Find out the TRUTH:
www.truth-spininc.com
References:
http://www.cactionsoccer.com/instructor.php
http://adayforeverypoemapoemforeveryday.yolasite.com
http://www.mvtelegraph.com/2012/07/26/leading-girls-boys
http://www.utsports.com/sports/w-track/spec-rel/060507aaa.html
http://www.runnersworld.com/high-school-profiles/felicia-guliford
http://tennessee.scout.com/2/682395.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mthea-teens/message/383
http://www.aiminghigherconsultants.com/scholarships-homeschooled-athletes/