The road to obtaining an athletic scholarship can be long and winding. Bill Green can show parents of talented student-athletes the steps necessary to navigate that road.
Green's major success story is his son Taylor, who is a member of the MLB Milwaukee Brewers organization. Bill emphasizes that charting the right course early on is essential to the athletic scholarship process.
"Due to Tayor's hard work on the field and in school, and my hard work learning about scholarships and the recruiting process, Taylor received interest from 91 colleges and universities."
That interest allowed Taylor to find the right fit for his academic and athletic criteria. After honing his skills with the Comox Valley Blizzard and Parksville Royals, Taylor went to Cypress College.
Drafted by the Brewers in 2005, Green climbed quickly through their farm system, twice earning Brewers Organization Player of the Year honours. He made his MLB debut Aug. 31, 2011 and hit a pinch-hit single in his first at-bat.
Since helping his son with the process, Green has worked with over 500 families in B.C. and Washington state and notes his work is attracting interest in Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
Now he is turning his attention to the Comox Valley. Bill is presenting four free information sessions on athletic scholarships for parents of male/female student-athletes (of all sports) in Grade 7 to 12 on April 28 and 29 at Mark R. Isfeld Secondary School (Taylor's alma mater).
To accommodate parents' busy schedules, sessions run at 6:30 p.m. or 8 p.m. both nights, with Monday's in the library and Tuesday's in the choir room. Green can be reached at billgreen6@gmail.com for more information.
As a school administrator, teacher and coach, Green understands how athletes can use the education system to their advantage. He designs athlete's academic, athletic and social lives around their goals and dreams.
Green says it is not enough to sit back and wait for recruiters to come knocking.
"This myth might be true for sports' most outstanding athletes, but it is simply not true for the majority of athletes. You have to take charge of your life and make things happen for yourself."
This realization led Green to turn the recruiting process around – recruiting schools and not vice versa.
"My goal is to help families understand the process involved in recruiting and college/university scholarships so that more kids can feel the joy and fulfillment of combining their academic and athletics at the highest level," Green said.
"The key is to have a clear plan of action so that you are properly prepared as a student-athlete. Without a plan to prepare yourself properly, you will be promoting an inferior product and recruiters will cross you off their lists," Bill Green said.