Tressel Provides Insight To A Coach’s Role in Post-Athletic Careers

NexGoal CEO Kevin Dahl and COO Brad Mullins recently met with former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel and had the chance to discuss the transition that collegiate and professional football players face after their playing days are over.XOnew

nexgoal.gifOne of the first points Tressel shared with NexGoal’s leadership was the fact that he has “over 2,500 kids that he has coached and a lot of their phone numbers are on his cell phone,” and he is there if they need his help. He said coaching doesn’t stop after they leave school, sometimes just answering that call, being an ear for them, and providing support and guidance is all they need.

A former college athlete himself (quarterback at Baldwin Wallace College) Coach Tressel noted the difference in demands on collegiate athletes between his playing days and his days at the helm of Youngstown State and Ohio State. He said most college players don’t have the opportunity to “put on a pair of work boots, or pick up a shovel and work at a summer job” because the demands of the sport are so high.  Most of the players today stick around the campus for summer practice, conditioning, and work and  Tressel acknowledged the difficulty in trying to find a summer job due to those time constraints.

Dahl and Mullins had the opportunity to share with Tressel the mission of NexGoal, working with former collegiate and professional athletes as they transition into careers with corporations looking to hire athletes. Coach recognized the need for this service and felt it is important to help athletes make the transition and provide a foundation that would allow them to progress in a job that fits their skill set. Additionally, Mullins shared franchising this concept, and how future NexGoal franchises “will just expand how many athletes we can help” by allowing more individuals to own their own business while still working with athletes.

The visit with Coach Tressel was a positive one – a great day with a great educator, human being, and coach.

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NexGoal Welcomes Two New Franchisees

franchisewordblockNexGoal is very excited to announce the completion of the training of two new franchise teams.   Both groups attended the NexGoal training camp this week in Cleveland, Oh.  NexGoal’s new franchises are located in Grand Rapids MI, and in Pittsburgh, PA.  The Grand Rapids franchise will be owned by Matt Ruchty. Matt is a former college and professional hockey player and is very excited to be able to help former athletes to launch their next career in sales. The Pittsburgh office will be run by a partnership of former Duquesne football player Phil Elias and notable hockey agent Steve Reich.

Everyone on the NexGoal team is celebrating the completion of training camp – both new franchisees graduated and are ready to get down to business!

Matt, Phil and Steve will be working with NexGoal’s support staff and NexGoal’s corporate trainer Doug Beabout throughout their start up months and for many successful years to come.

 

  “I am very excited to be joining the NexGoal team!  The opportunity to help former college and professional athletes come together with businesses is a winning formula for everyone.  I look forward to placing competitive, driven athletes with companies looking for top caliber business talent!”

– Matt Ruchty

 

 “Phil and I are very excited to join the NexGoal team.  Working with employers to fulfill meaningful employment opportunities with former athletes is a natural extension of what Phil and I have done over the past two decades.”

– Phil Elias and Steve Reich

 Please call Matt at the Grand Rapids office at (616) 863 7848 and Phil or Steve in Pittsburgh at (412) 564 0994 for any of your recruiting needs in those areas.

 Also, if you would like information on other NexGoal franchise opportunities, please click here

 

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Cross Country/Track and Field Star Shines with Client

NexGoal recently completed a search for an Account Executive position with a national chemical company. We are excited to announce that the  former college Cross Country and Track standout, accepted the position this past month. He was a 4 time NAIA Cross Country National Qualifier and 4 time NAIA Track and Field National Qualifier in the 5,000, 10,000 and 3,000 meter steeplechase. His journey after athletics lead him into the United States Navy where he was awarded numerous medals including the National Defense Service Medal and the Navy “E” Ribbon. He then started his career in sales, where he was able to apply his drive and competitiveness to the business world.

Judd is a typical NexGoal candidate – someone who is highly focused, loyal, confident, competitive and driven. NexGoal Project Coordinator Angela Berardinelli, specifically worked with Judd on placing him with our client company. He comments on his experience with NexGoal and our mission of pairing athletes with clients:

“I had a very positive experience with Angela Berardinelli. Angela was organized and provided me with the necessary information that I needed in order to succeed in the hiring process. It is great to see an organization such as NexGoal promote former college athletes and the strengths that we bring to the workplace.”

The NexGoal team is proud of our results in successfully matching our clients with strong athlete-candidates like Judd. Learn more about our client’s opportunities on our career page.

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Pro Athlete Business Group Conference

Pro Athlete Business Group Conference

The NexGoal team recently attended the Pro Athlete Business Group conference in Sacramento, CA. The 2-day show featured approximately 75 former athletes.  The purpose of the conference was to introduce new business opportunities and career transition assistance to former players. Many businesses and individuals presented throughout the week.

NexGoal CEO Kevin Dahl was honored to speak about our services – he connected many athletes and received inquiries about the NexGoal concept.

From left to right: Kevin Dahl, Ed Hill, Tina Malsom, Anthony Simmons

“Thanks again for your participation and input. It meant so much to us, the participating athletes, and to Pro Athlete Business group as a whole.”

– Anthony Simmons, Executive Director

Some other highlights of the show were the presentations of Annett Lynch and her book, Success Beyond Sport (more here), and keynote speaker Bernie Kosar.  Annett’s vision of helping athletes through a series of self assessments and personal assignments really resonated with the audience.  Her book is a great tool to get started in the process of career discovery and personal application.

Bernie received a standing ovation for his speech which was directed at all the athletes in attendance to stick together as a team in retirement.  Bernie is also a part owner of Genewise, a DNA specific health enhancement company. Genewise contributed to his message for athletes taking care of their bodies after the sport. Every presentation covered a wide range of topics, but was centered on one thing- athletes in transition.

The Pro Athlete Business Group Conference proved to be a great show, with great people and great stories. NexGoal looks forward to next year’s conference in Phoenix.

 

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Going the Extra Mile for Clients

The NexGoal team continues to impress our corporate clients, not only with the candidates we produce, but the appealing process with which we conduct our searches.

One of NexGoal’s clients in the Medical Labs industry has repeatedly expressed their pleasure with our process. Our team has placed candidates for both junior and senior level roles with multiple hiring managers. Bret, one of the Regional Sales Managers, has used NexGoal’s services for numerous positions all over the United States.

“What impressed me initially about NexGoal was the time that they spent with us up front understanding the core competencies required for our roles. What we have found is that we receive candidates that not only have the expected skills and experience, but more importantly, we receive candidates that have the intangible winning qualities like hunger, drive, and passion. The screening process that they have developed is the best that I have seen in the industry. When I have a NexGoal candidate in front of me, I know that they have thoroughly matched the candidate’s experience and skills to our company culture. The time that they spend with us for each opening really pays off. I can always count on first class candidates at the interviews.”

At NexGoal we take pride in building client relationships from the ground up. When Bret first engaged with us, the message of trying to find a competitive, driven and dedicated individual was a mutual understanding. As subsequent opportunities in their organization came open, the searches were easy to engage because of the solid foundation established at the start.

To learn more about our process, check out our Corporate Services page

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