Leveling the Playing Field

EchoED is preparing first-generation prospective student-athletes to make the grade and make the college team!

Quickly Train First-Gens to Achieve “Plan A(thletics)”

Prep 1st Generation Student-Athletes for College in Just 31 Text Messages

The majority of first-gen student-athletes report they would NOT have attended a 4-year college had they not been athletes. Essentially, college athletics was their Plan A, and there was no Plan B to fall back on. First-gens lack the advantage of guidance from parents who themselves were college graduates.

First-gens no longer have to chase their intercollegiate athletics dreams alone! The W.I.N.: 31-Day College Recruitment Playbook for High School Student-Athletes, provides mentorship from Coach Dee, a seasons athlete, educator and researcher. In just one month, first-gens receive targeted mentorship in the form of daily bite-sized nuggets of college application, and athletics recruitment knowledge, reflection exercises and gentle nudges to take meaningful action steps now.

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10 Alarming Facts About First Generation Student-Athletes

  • No Backup Plan

    For 62% of first generation college-bound student-athletes, earning an athletic scholarship is Plan A and there is no Plan B.

    10 Fact Source: NCAA Research (2016). The First in Their Family.

  • Twice Likely to be a Minority

    First-gen students athletes are more than twice as likely to be from a racial/ethnic minority group (26%) when compared to their white peers (12%)

  • Football & Wrestling Dominate

    First-gen student-athletes participate in all levels and types of sports. However, student-athletes competing football (25%) and wrestling (23%) are more likely to be first-generation college students.

  • Every 16 out of 100

    16% of student-athletes reported being first-generation college students (defined in NCAA research as neither parent having attended college).

  • First Gens at All Levels of Play

    Division II student-athletes (20%) are more likely to be first-generation students than either Division I (14%) or Division III (15%) student-athletes.

  • Life is Sports

    First-generation students are more likely to believe they will become a professional or Olympic athlete and that their future jobs will involve sports in some form.

  • Self-Funding Their Educaitons

    First gen student-athletes are more likely to take out student loans and pay for their schooling out of pocket. These athletes must navigate seemingly insurmountable financial barriers to college persistence and completion.

  • Financial Stressors

    Financing their education is a larger concern for first gens. Whereas 56% of first-gen students are concerned finances could affect their ability to finish their degree, only 36% of other student-athletes feel the same way.

  • It Takes a Village

    Parents are reported as playing the most important role in the college choice process. However, both coaches and teachers / counselors are credited with playing a larger role in the college choice process for first-generation students.

  • Parental Pressures

    26% percent of NCAA first-gen students reported that since they were young, their parents/family expected they would eventually become professional or Olympic athletes. Only 12% of their non-first-generation peers reported that same parental expectation.

Why W.I.N. and Why Now?

Dr. Dee, a 2x NCAA Division I All-American track & field athlete and college and high school coach, has lived through the set of stressors, pressures, and experiences unique to first-generation student-athletes. The first in her family to attend college, she vividly recalls the challenges of transitioning from high school varsity sports to intercollegiate athletics at the University of South Florida.

Born to low-educated immigrant parents, and the first in her family to attend college, Dee blindly navigated the college and athletics landscape, hitting many financial landmines along the way. Her desire is to help the next generation of students athletes avoid detrimental academic and economic pitfalls toward their journey to college completion.

Through the W.I.N. text message-based course, Dr. Dee lend students the expertise she and others have gained through trial, error, and research via the most flexible and ubiquitous training platform there is—smartphones.

Pictured: Dr. Dee previews the W.I.N. course to junior and senior football players competing in the 2021 South Florida All-Star Game.

Contact Dr. Dee

The W.I.N. Playbook betters ensures college enrollment and encourages persistence through helping athletes achieve a high level of understanding of themselves as students, athletes, and individuals before committing to a school and athletic program.

W.I.N. is ONLY Available via interactive Text Message.

W.I.N. is THE Game Changer

The W.I.N. playbook is changing the way first-gen student-athletes compete for college entry and coveted athletic scholarships, one text message at a time.

The 31 “plays” or micro lessons promote best practices for first-generation student-athlete success. Built-in performance assessments and interactive survey questions nudge student-athletes to reflect on their academics, attitudes, and performance. Equipped with expert knowledge from some one who’s “been there-done that”, first-gens can avoid common college application and athletics recruitment pitfalls.

With the right guidance and mentorship from Dr. Dee and her Dream Team, first-gen students athletes take more measured steps towards applying and committing to intercollegiate athletic programs that are best-fit for their personality and talents.

Less Confusion. More Confidence.

Using smartphones that students are already hooked to, Dr. Dee levels the playing field for first generation student-athletes by taking the confusion out of the college recruitment process. She is a 2x DI NCAA All-American athlete, USF Hall of Fame Inductee and K-12 educator and principal.

Through her innovative curriculum, she lends first-gen student-athletes her expertise via daily lessons in the form of 1200 character text messages. W.I.N. micro lessons have 95% open rates and equally high engagement and satisfaction rates among learners.

W.I.N. lessons help student-athletes navigate the increasingly complex college application and athletics recruitment processes, with new found skill and confidence.

The W.I.N. playbook is changing the way first-generation student-athletes compete for college entry and coveted athletic scholarships, one text message at a time.

The W.I.N.: 31-Day College Recruitment Playbook for High School Student-Athletes, provides mentorship from Coach Dee, a seasoned NCAA Division I athlete, educator, and researcher.