Dear Brother Martin Families,

At Brother Martin, our commitment to educating young men extends beyond the classroom and beyond the school day. As part of our holistic approach to education, we strive to prepare our students not only for their next step, but with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they will carry with them throughout their lives.

With that mission in mind, we are excited to introduce Crusader NEXT, Brother Martin’s student-athlete development and college athletics preparation initiative.

Crusader NEXT is designed to partner with our student-athletes and their families as they navigate the transition from high school athletics to college athletics and beyond. The goal is not simply to help students get recruited, but to educate and prepare them to make informed decisions throughout the entire process.

A central component of Crusader NEXT will be Beyond the Shield, a parent and student-athlete college athletics education series. Through this series, families will explore topics including the college athletics landscape, recruiting timelines and communication, becoming a recruitable student-athlete, personal branding and digital identity, creating recruiting opportunities, evaluating the right college fit, NIL and contracts, and preparing for long-term success.

Just as importantly, the lessons extend well beyond college athletics. Communication, decision-making, personal responsibility, financial awareness, self-advocacy, and understanding how to represent oneself are skills our young men can carry into college, their careers, and their lives.

Crusader NEXT reflects Brother Martin’s continued commitment to partnering with our families in preparing our young men “not only to make a living, but to make a life.”

We look forward to sharing more information soon, including details about the first Beyond the Shield educational session.

Prepare for what’s NEXT.

Sincerely,
Wilbert "Tre" Turner
Junior High Athletics Coordinator