Founded in 1999, San Francisco-based LevelEdge uses the exposure provided by the Internet to increase the visibility of all high school and community college students, regardless of socio-economic or geographic barriers, by posting their statistics and profile information and providing that data to college recruiters. The company, which handles all phases of the student recruitment process from beginning to end, has been featured in a number of business and sports-related publications recently.
Using a proprietary and secure data base that possesses unparalleled search capabilities allowing recruiters access to a wide array of desirable criteria (statistical performance, physical characteristics, leadership potential, etc.), LevelEdge launched its national effort this year at the NCAA Final Four basketball tournaments. (Basketball statistics are available at the LevelEdge Web site.) Soccer is the next target sport, expected to go on-line sometime this year. Eventually, the company plans to offer its services in 20 scholarship sports.
LevelEdge will be accessible to anyone visiting the COA website, www.coasports.org,
via a shop button to be placed on the home page, as well as through links elsewhere on the site.
Lisa Henderson, founder and CEO of LevelEdge, is excited about the prospects.
"Partnering with the COA gives us the opportunity to reach 30,000 community college athletes that annually participate in their sports programs," Henderson said. "By providing COA coaches with an easy-to-use team management database application, we can aid in team performance as well as capture athletic performance and academic information. LevelEdge will use that information to promote participating COA athletes to coaches at four-year institutions nationwide."
In addition to Web site access and its endorsement, the COA will provide LevelEdge with complimentary commercial spots on each of its five televised championships, sponsorship rights at all 16 COA state championship events, including signage banners, public service announcements and complimentary full page advertisements in event programs, a display booth at all championships, presentation opportunities at selected coaches association meetings, and many other benefits that will further the company's advance into the community college market.
"We are delighted with this partnership," said COA Associate Commissioner Stu Van Horn. "It is a unique system that will provide university recruiters with fresh, robust information about our transferring student athletes and may help those universities do a better job of not overlooking any of our outstanding student athletes," he said.
COA
