Brad Wolverton Podcasts

Over the years, I’ve done dozens of stories about the athletic recruiting process. I've focused most of my reporting on Division I, since that’s where the money is—and where most athletes and families put their focus. But on today’s show, we’ll hear from Marie Fitzgerald and Simon Mackenzie, two decorated high school athletes who played Division II…

In my decade-plus covering the athletic recruiting business, I’ve probably spent 90 percent of my time focused on Division I. But there are actually way more opportunities for your kid to play at lower NCAA levels. And Division II, with more than 300 schools, is an increasingly appealing option. Today’s guest, Lisa Wilson, has coached at just about…

On today’s show, we’ll hear from Ron Lieber, a personal finance columnist for The New York Times, whose latest book, “The Price You Pay for College,” should be required reading for anyone with a kid nearing college. Ron wrote a whole chapter on sports scholarships, and his advice on how to find money for college when your sports scholarship falls s…

With all the research I’ve done of the athletic recruiting business, I usually don’t get too surprised by things people share in interviews. But today’s guest, Kate Kantor, blew me away with details of the recruiting industry. Kate is a former full scholarship softball player and team captain at Georgia Tech who went on to coach softball at the Uni…

Today we’ll hear from Parker Goyer, a former Duke University tennis player who has earned graduate degrees or done post-doctoral work at three of the world's leading universities (Oxford, Harvard, Stanford). I first met Parker more than a decade ago, after hearing about a study abroad program she created for NCAA athletes while she was an undergrad…

Today we'll hear from Travis Dorsch, a former football and baseball player at Purdue University who made it to the NFL. He is now a renowned sports psychologist whose academic research centers around the relationship between parents and kids in sports and how you can be a better sports parent. Travis shares insights on: ➨ the importance of playing …

Want to help your kid get in a great college? Today's guest—Jeff Selingo, author of the New York Times bestselling book, “Who Gets In and Why,” an eye-opening account of the hyper-competitive college admissions process—is full of insights on how to help you do that. Jeff wrote an entire chapter on the ways that athletes have a leg up in the college…

In Part II of my extended conversation with Renee Lopez, she gives advice on one of the hardest things to do as a recruited athlete: learn how to talk to coaches about money. Lopez, a former college soccer coach who now runs a popular Facebook group for parents of recruited athletes, gives some pretty radical advice, suggesting that you should neve…

On today's episode, we’ll hear from Renee Lopez, a longtime college soccer coach who runs a popular Facebook group to help parents of aspiring college athletes. Coach Renee is one of the most respected independent voices in the athletic recruiting business. She is the author of "Looking for a Full Ride," a step-by-step recruiting guide for young at…

On this episode, we hear from Maggie Mlynek, a former scholarship rower at the University of Connecticut. Maggie walked on UConn's team her freshman year, with no experience in the sport. By her senior year, she was the captain of the team on a full athletic scholarship. But her UConn experience wasn't all roses. The school cut women's rowing in 20…

This week we'll hear from Matt Banker, one of the most connected people I know in college sports. Over his 20-year career in college athletics, he has worked for the NCAA, a Division I conference, and a top-tier FBS program. At the University of Louisville, where he spent the past nine years, he was the sport administrator for men’s soccer, women’s…

Today we'll hear from Elwyn McRoy, a longtime men’s basketball coach who has worked at nearly every type of college, from Iowa State, where he flew on a private jet to recruit players, to Stillman College, where he split his time between living in a dorm room and an RV while making $3,000 a year. (I wrote a long feature about him that year, which I…

Today we'll hear from Brittany Collens, a former New Mexico State and UMass women’s tennis player who now plays tennis professionally. I met Brittany a few years ago when she was involved in one of the more ludicrous NCAA investigations I’ve ever heard about, which led her to testify before Congress and write a piece for the Players’ Tribune called…

Today we'll hear from Jenny Riemer, who was a four-year starter on Elon University's women's soccer team and has coached at the youth and college level. Jenny was one of those unheralded players who never caught the attention of big-time college coaches. But through scrappiness and persistence, she landed offers from Columbia University and the U.S…

For the first episode of Sports Scholarship Stories, we'll hear from Allison Goldblatt, a former UCLA and UNC swimmer. Allison was the subject of a big feature story I wrote in 2016 called "The Myth of the Sports Scholarship," which a New York Times columnist called the “best article I’ve ever read about kids, sports and college scholarships.” Now …

More than 8 million kids play high school sports in the United States. And the vast majority won’t earn a dime to play their sport in college. But there’s still a ton of money out there — and, with the right road map and advice, you can get your hands on some of it. I’m here to help you do that. I'm Brad Wolverton, a longtime college sports writer.…