PONCE, PUERTO RICO — The second annual Puerto Rico Challenge, which brought top Division I schools to Puerto Rico for competition, also delivered an important educational opportunity for local student-athletes with a seminar titled: “The Process.”
The seminar was designed to educate student-athletes and their parents on NCAA eligibility requirements, academic standards, and what top universities look for when recruiting athletes for their programs.
Thursday’s seminar “The Process” highlighted the tools and requirements student-athletes and their families must have on the field and in the classroom to succeed at the collegiate level – Image Credit: Puerto Rico Challenge
The free event took place on Thursday, February 12th, at the Ponce Convention Center, which has a capacity of 250 attendees. Unfortunately, due to heavy rainfall in Puerto Rico’s northern metropolitan area and in the south, several baseball academies that planned to attend were unable to travel. As a result, attendance was less than half of what had been expected.
The seminar was moderated by ESPN analyst Eduardo Pérez and featured several top Division I coaches and recruiters. Speakers provided valuable insight into the requirements and procedures student-athletes must understand in order to place themselves on the radar for future recruitment and potential scholarship opportunities.
ESPN analyst Eduardo Pérez was a moderator at “The Process” seminar intended for student-athletes and parents this past Thursday ahead of the Puerto Rico Challenge starting up – Image Credit: Hector Beauchamp/Latino Sports
While the ultimate dream for many student-athletes is to reach the Major Leagues—and that dream is often shared by parents and coaches who invest significant time and resources—it was emphasized that earning a full college education through athletics is itself a major and life-changing victory.
Special congratulations to Jorge Medina of JOGI Sports for not only bringing these high-level games to Puerto Rico, but for intentionally hosting them in Ponce and the southern region of the island—areas that too often receive less attention than the San Juan metropolitan area.
When I asked Medina why he organizes these forums, he stated, “We really do not have to organize this forum as it is not part of the games, however, I believe that this would be a great opportunity for the local youth and their parents of to be exposed to coaches and recruiters of these top Division I schools so that they can be better prepared to take advantage of opportunities that they might not be aware of.”
Hats off to all of those who participated and attended Thursday’s seminar “The Process” at Ponce Convention Center – Image Credit: Hector Beauchamp/Latino Sports
Jorge Medina and all the organizers of this second annual Puerto Rico Challenge should be commended for hosting this caliber seminar, providing meaningful guidance and opportunity for Puerto Rico’s youth and their families.
I just hope that the Puerto Rican governmental institutions like the Department of Sports and Recreation and the offices of Tourism could see the great potential being offered and also do their part to help grow this event as I personally did not see one representative from any of those agencies present at the form.
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