Parents…Your child's time is NOW

I know I speak for your kids when I say,  "THANK YOU" for everything that you do for them.




These young student athletes could never do what they do without the help of their parents and/or guardians.

"THANK YOU" and I know they appreciate it even if they don't say so.

It is that time of year and your son or daughter will be back in school before you know it and competing athletically in their sport of choice.

High School and Club student athletes need your support more than any other time in their young athletic careers.

You have been supporting them since they started competing. Juggling school, their social life and working towards possibly playing in college can and will be overwhelming at times.

The student athlete, that is serious about playing college sports, really needs your help during these years of development. It is a hard road to navigate and they need the family on their side. 

I see the normal school and social stress everyday as a coach….add the college selection process on top of the high school pressure and look out...it can be too much to handle.

No matter what year you are in school this Time is Yours for you to jump-start your college-search process.

Just ask yourself these simple questions. If you answer NO to any of these questions your child will need our College Game Report.

• ·      Are you interested in playing your sport in College?
• ·      Are you playing your sport at your highest level?
• ·      Have you contacted 50 plus schools / coaches that fit your profile?
• ·      Are you currently communicating with college coaches on a regular basis?
• ·      Do you understand all the numbers?
• ·      Do you “Live From The End”

Remember if you answered “NO” to any of the above “WE CAN HELP”

Don’t hesitate to contact us.

We, as parents, want to look back and know that we did what was needed to help our kids reach their potential.

www.TheCollegeProgram.com

Make a better choice…You do not have to be part of this debt problem

Live From The End

 The College Game Report and "Live From The End:"  

This is a simple exercise to prevent you from borrowing too much for college. It asks you to use your imagination & envision what your financial outlook could be on graduation day. Ultimately, this is the REASON for The College Game Report. We believe that if you can See your future responsibility, you will understand the magnitude of this decision and make a more educated choice.

Live in this Moment and Live

As a 16,17 year old I never really paid much attention to the future. The future was always the next weekend, the next party, this weeks test, this weeks game.  It was hard just to manage this small window of time. Looking back at this way of thinking it really is not a bad way of thinking. All of us need to live more in the moment to really experience what is right in front of us. We have great friends, we have great parents, we are provided with great teachers. We are meeting new opportunities each and every day just by being present. Being present in every moment is actually being truly alive.

As a high school student this is so hard to realize. As a much older person this is still very hard to master this way of thinking but it is worth working at daily.

Why I am writing about some out-there way of thinking. It is something I wish I was more aware of as high school student. If I would have been in the moment, actually hearing friends, hearing parents, hearing teachers, I would have been more responsible with all the gifts that were provided to me and for me.

This is not about me...this all about YOU.

I am writing this for you, the high school student, the parent, the friend, the teacher of a high school student. The choices you make today, as a high school student, will be your future. The advise you receive today, from a parent, a teacher, a friend could affect your future as well.

Being in the moment is not about instant gratification. It is about fully enjoying the moment and fully understanding the moment right in front of you. Comprehending what is put in front of you and using this information wisely is important because it will affect you and your future.

Almost 100% of high school students have some experience with the college search process during their high school years. The college search process needs to be fully comprehended. It brings into play so many players. All of which are there to provide information, support and much needed advise.

What you, as high school students need to realize is that this college choice is your responsibility. You need to make this decision as if you are an adult because this choice has your adult future written all over it.

The college search process provides so many choices, so many options, so many questions, so many decisions.

Here are a just a few that will need to be considered:
Do I want to go to college?
Do I want to explore the junior college scene?
Do I want to go away to school?
    If so, how far?
What size school do I want to go to?
Does this school offer my major, my field of study?
Will I be accepted?
Do they have the fraternity or sorority of choice?
Are my academics in order?
Do they have dorms?
Can I play my sport if I am an athlete?
Do my test scores meet their standards?

What is my Real Family Contribution (RFC)?

Can I see my "Live From The End"?

There are so many schools that will match what your and your families needs. The RFC is, what I consider, a concept you need "be in the moment for,"you need to understand. This financial concept helps you think differently about the REAL COST of attending college. It helps you think differently about your choices.

Your RFC ignores the concept of borrowing and shows you how much you ACTUALLY OWE. Whether you pay for college with your own money or borrow it to pay it off tomorrow, YOU OWE IT.

Total 4 Year Cost – Total 4 Year Scholarship = Your REAL Family Contribution 

This simple formula helps you understand the magnitude of receiving a scholarship at each college and encourages you to think differently about the REAL COST of a college education.

What is your "Live From The End". What do you see for your future? 
Use your imagination & envision what your future could be on graduation day. We believe that if you can See your future responsibility, you will understand the magnitude of this decision and make a more educated choice.

We believe in this moment right now. Understand your choices and take responsibly for it is your future.

Tim Twellman

Co-Founder 

www.TheCollegeProgram.com 

High School Sports …Your Time to Make Memories

Take Advantage of your High School Years

Making a Difference…Life after Sports

The sports have given our family so much over the years. When I actually look back at the 35 years I have been married sports has always been part of our daily lives.

From my college education, to my career as a professional player, to my current career directing 

The College Program and Twellman Soccer, sports has always been part of my life.

The same is true for my three kids. From their education to their careers to their love of all sports; sports continues to be part of their lives.

Now our focus has changed to serving our young players.

The College Program

Twellman Soccer

ThinkTaylor 

Our oldest son, Taylor Twellman, former five-time Major League Soccer all-star, was forced to retire from professional soccer in 2010, due to complications from multiple concussions, a type of Traumatic Brain Injury ("TBI"). While suffering five documented concussions throughout his professional playing career, on August 31, 2008, Taylor suffered a concussion that many believe ended his storied career in Major League Soccer (Taylor played in eight more games, scoring five goals for his team, following this injury).

As Taylor later realized, this brain injury was far more than a career-ending injury, rather, it was a life-changing event.

Inspired to make a difference in the world of concussions, Taylor, with the support of the entire family, founded the ThinkTaylor Foundation in 2011, a foundation driven and dedicated to changing the culture in the world of concussions. Yes, the entire family, are all in and are driven to make a difference. Through our website, one of the many aspects of ThinkTaylor Foundation that we offer to our concussion movement, is the opportunity to share their personal story. We want these concussed individuals to understand that we hear them and we C.A.R.E. We need to listen and hear their stories. This is an invisible injury that needs to be listened to. The response to sharing their stories has been overwhelming. Most of these stories are extremely informative and so familiar to Taylor’s journey.

Taylor’s story is an inspirational story. He "lives" this injury every day, and while some days are worse than others, he and all of us believe that he will one day recover. Taylor also believes in the power of education and encouragement; in fact, he wants his foundation to "take the burden off" of everyone involved and to make a positive impact in the lives of those affected. ThinkTaylor believes in helping kids, not scaring kids. As Taylor stated in a recent ThinkTaylor appearance, "I [need] to help myself by helping others... I want to be a voice for the injury."

ThinkTaylor’s positive message, emphasizing C.A.R.E. (CONCUSSION AWARENESS RECOGNITION and EDUCATION [and] putting the health of kids first will create a positive social change and in return, a safer, healthier and smarter environment for our youth.

The College Program = Creating Social Change in Your Community

A St. Louis native (SLUH ‘01) and a former Stanford (’05) student-athlete,I believe that an effective business is one that serves others and more importantly, creates new ways of thinking: SOCIAL CHANGE. The College Program is such a company (www.thecollegeprogram.com). Having co-founded The College Program with my dad, Tim, we have created a business that addresses the overwhelming and time-consuming college decision that families face today. 

And yet, we take it a step further… The mission of The College Program is to give all families the knowledge and the tools to better understand their options and to ultimately, comprehend the magnitude of their decision. As a 30 year old, I know many former college students and student-athletes that regret their college choice – why? – Because they didn’t do their homework and they chose a school that ultimately, didn’t match their personal, financial and post-graduate profile. We see this all across the country. Post-graduate profile –this is where we take it a step further. We believe that if a student wants to attend a college, then they need to ask themselves – What does this mean when I graduate? This means that families need to examine their child’s major and their future salary expectations. This is the Elephant in the Room that no one is talking about and that we want to address. If you know your college profile, then there are schools for you … but more importantly, there are schools that allow you to graduate with an acceptable and affordable debt level.

We have provided our services and our College Game Report to families, athletes, students and schools from all across the St. Louis area and across the country. Why? Because our service is affordable, practical and just makes sense! 

We are creating social change across the state of Missouri, including students from these schools: CBC, SLUH, MICDS, Clayton, DeSmet, Villa Duchesne, Visitation, Hazelwood, St. Dominic, John Burroughs, Priory, Principia, Fort Zumwalt, Lafayette, Cor Jesu, Vianney, Oakville, St. Josephs Academy, St. Mary's,  Rolla, Jackson High School and many others. 

James Twellman