Andre’s Bio
SportsRecruitingScouts.com is led by Andre Turner, who resides in Arlington, Texas with his wife and two sons.

I want to dedicate my life to helping others pursue their athletic hopes and dreams. I can now accomplish this by way of Sportsrecruitingscouts.com. Through Sportsrecruitingscouts.com I can introduce athletes to recruiters and coaches from all over and can provide tips on available scholarships and on how to get noticed. I know what it’s like to strive to be the best. I know what it’s like to dream for the stars. It gives me a great feeling of satisfaction when my efforts pay off in rewards for dedicated athletes.

I started playing baseball in Detroit, Michigan when I was 10. Before my first season, a friend of my dad suggested I roll up a newspaper and practice swinging it around. I swatted the air persistently and, apparently, learned a thing or two about batting.

When my very first season opened, they started me off in the Little League’s minor leagues. By age 11, I was playing with the 13 & 14-year olds. It was hard work, but I persevered and made the All Star team every year.

A move to Texas put baseball out of reach for a couple of years – it wasn’t offered at the local junior high. I eagerly looked forward to high school (grades 10-12) and to getting back in the game. Sure of my baseball skills, when high school finally commenced, I confidently approached the baseball coach and asked where I could sign up for the varsity team. The coach was skeptical, but said I could try out. I guess I proved myself, because I was a shoe-in for the varsity team.

I then devoted ALL of my time and energy into baseball. While this dedication led to great results on the field, it greatly hindered my progress in the classroom. This single-mindedness seemed like a good idea at the time but, in the long run, it greatly limited my opportunities. You see, when college recruiters are out reviewing talent for their schools, they can’t just look at athletic ability. They also need to determine whether or not an athlete has the academic skills to meet their school’s entrance requirements and stay in good academic standing. Since I had put so little effort into my classwork, few schools could offer me scholarships. I was invited to play as a walk-on at a couple of big schools, and then, once I had proved myself, would probably have received a scholarship when one became available. Pride kept me from going that route, and I eventually accepted a full athletic scholarship from Navarro Junior College.

It wasn’t until my freshman year at Navarro, however, when I finally grasped that it was time to put my ego aside and to hit the books. I put my brain in training and managed to earn a 3.0 grade point average. I realized I needed to have a Plan B, because life doesn’t always turn out the way you want. This realization came in time for me to take advantage of a new opportunity – Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana offered me an athletic scholarship.

In my first year at Northwestern I worked hard in the classroom, but success on the field that year was rather more elusive. An ankle injury early in the season kept me in the dugout for the remainder of my junior year. In my senior year, at last, everything finally came together for our team. Our new coach, Jim Wells, under the tutelage of Skip Bertman, worked us hard. We went undefeated for 23 games and ranked number one in several categories, including pitching and wins, in a tie with Miami. I reached some personal achievements that year as well – hitting well over 500 during the first two months of the season. During that time I was tied in this achievement with Mo Vaughn from Seton Hall. Vaughn was the number one draft pick for the Red Sox that year.

Following graduation I signed on as a free agent with the Leon Braves in the Mexican League. Because the Braves had a working agreement with the Baltimore Orioles, I had a terrific opportunity to participate in spring training with the Orioles. While the Brave’s coach was impressed with my abilities, each Mexican team could only have four U.S. players on the team – and the other U.S. players available had all come straight from the Major Leagues.

In 1992 I got in touch with an agent in the U.S. and was invited to train with the Chicago White Sox at the old Komisky Park. Disappointingly, the deal fell through. So far, my whole life had been dedicated to baseball. With the Major Leagues now tantalizingly just out of reach, it was time to move on to Plan B. My degree earned through hard work and supported by athletic scholarships helped give me the confidence to make the transition to a new career.

Now, through Sportsrecruitingscouts.com I have an opportunity to use what I’ve learned to help others achieve their dreams – to provide direction to those who have the talent and know what they want, but just don’t know how to go about getting it. I enjoy encouraging and guiding young athletes in their pursuit of excellence. This comes naturally to me. Over the years I’ve helped guide many friends and family members through the ups and downs of pursuing athletic achievements – some received valuable scholarships, others made it to the pros.

I’m here to help get kids on the right track by providing guidance in marketing their athletic talents and by providing an easily accessed forum to showcase these talents,. The athletic professionals I deal with have signing power, and I’ll do everything I can to help student athletes make the right connections with these professionals.

Sign up with Sportsrecruitingscouts.com and I’ll go to bat for you!

Rocky Turners Bio
Hi! I’m Rocky Turner, younger brother of Sportsrecruitingscouts.com’s founder, Andre Turner.

I like baseball, and I like football. Through high school I played a lot of both, and as wide receiver I worked hard on the field and earned All State Honorable Mention. Football was my first love but, with just verbal commitments in place with Texas Tech and the University of Missouri, I jumped at the offer of a full baseball scholarship at Ranger Junior College (Ranger, Texas). Not only was this a sure thing, but Ranger’s baseball coach had a good rapport with Major League scouts.

After two years at Ranger, the University of Texas-Arlington came to me with a full baseball scholarship. This opened up an opportunity for me to continue developing my baseball skills while also avidly pursuing another avenue of interest – broadcasting. In 1994, I was rewarded for my efforts in both areas with a B.A. in Mass Communications-Broadcasting and by being drafted by the New York Mets in the 32nd round.

By 1997 I worked my way up to Double-A. While that’s a great place to be, I realized I was at a major crossroad in my career. I needed to decide if it was wise to continue playing baseball in the hopes of getting into the Major Leagues or whether it was time to embark on my broadcasting career. A appealing offer from KKDA in Dallas proved to be too good to pass up. Once there, however, teams started calling, wanting me to try out. While the teams were very interested, they couldn’t guarantee a contract. I decided it was time to hang up my cleats and pick up the mic. It was a big decision, but I have no regrets.

I wish Sportsrecruitingscouts.com had been around when I was searching out athletic scholarships. Not only would I have had more opportunities in baseball, I believe I would have had a shot at a football career. I think a little more attention on my football abilities could have taken me into professional football. Since this site gives coaches and recruiters an opportunity to easily review a great deal of information about a lot of athletes, I believe Sportsrecruitingscouts.com will open up a lot of doors for a lot of student athletes. Athlete information posted at Sportsrecruitingscouts.com generates the interest needed to get a recruiter out to a game or for a coach to send an invitation for an athlete to visit the campus.

Rocky is a radio personality at K104-FM (KKDA) in Dallas, Texas. He resides in Arlington, Texas, with his wife and two-year-old daughter.

Damon’s Bio
Damon had signed with Texas A&M as a pitcher/outfielder. He had his bags packed and was ready to go. Just one little thing stood in his way. Neither he nor his coach had found out what high school classes were required for admission to A&M – Damon was one class short of eligibility.

Disappointed and recognizing the great financial burden the lack of a scholarship would place on his family, Damon told his parents, “If I can’t get a scholarship, I’m not going to college at all.”

Fortunately, there’s a wide range of educational opportunities between nothing and A&M. Damon’s outstanding pitching talents soon came to the attention of a coach at Navarro Junior College who offered him a full-ride scholarship. Damon initially wasn’t all that interested, but soon learned Navarro was a respected school in the junior college league.

Two years at Navarro, winning the strike-out title on the way, led to greater opportunities. With hush puppies, fries and a scholarship the University of Southern Mississippi lured Damon, a country boy at heart, to their campus. In 1990, his senior year, the Kansas City Royals drafted Damon as a pitcher in the 14th round. Graduating with a triple-major in physical therapy, sports recreation and health education, and a minor in political science, Damon then joined such players as Ronald Harris, Brian Cummings and Earl Carter.

Damon stayed with the Royals until 1992 when he was picked up by the St. Paul Saints in their inaugural year. Here, he played with such teammates as Michael Beck and Leon Duram. Just six weeks into the season, he was traded to the Montreal Expos. He pitched for the Expos until 1995 when family needs called for retirement from the field.

Damon settled his growing family in Arlington, Texas, where he is self employed and he and his wife work together in raising their five children.

Damon believes Sportsrecruitingscouts.com is a great way for high school athletes to get noticed and to pick up valuable tips on getting college scholarships. Sportsrecruitingscouts.com founder Andre Turner and Damon played on opposing teams at regionals in high school, were roommates at Navarro and have developed a deep friendship over the years through providing encouragement and support to one another through life’s ups and downs both on and off the field.

Dennis Bruen’s Bio
Growing up in Holland, Dennis Bruens says sports were his entire life. Outside of work and school, his whole family focused on sports – especially soccer. Up until age 15, Dennis played a lot of soccer. Then, he was introduced to basketball. By age 17, he played on Holland’s national team for that age group and competed throughout Europe.

Dennis soon worked his way up to the first division of Holland’s highest semi-pro team. While Dennis continued his studies in Holland, he wanted to expand his horizons and opportunities. Two Americans on the team encouraged him to seek out an athletic scholarship at a school in the U.S.

He was first awarded a basketball scholarship at Southeastern University in Beatrice, Nebraska, where he soon achieved All American.

Because he already possessed strong mathematical skills, he then decided it was time to give the other side of his brain a workout. After researching schools with mass communications programs, Dennis sought out the basketball coach at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was awarded a full scholarship and went on to attain innumerable athletic and academic awards.

When a fellow Mass Communications student, Melisa, first met Dennis and found out he was a basketball player on full scholarship, she assumed he was a dumb jock with a speech impediment (he was still working on his accent). She was wrong. Dennis had outstanding academic abilities and could easily have received scholarships based on his class work alone. Melisa must have eventually caught on – as Mrs. Bruens, she and Dennis now work together on the joint project of raising their three sons.

So, why didn’t Dennis go for the academic scholarships?

“Athletic scholarships are like a one-stop shop,” says Dennis. “It’s hard to get full academic scholarships.” Dennis said it feels good to know that he put himself through college through his hard work out on the court. “Athletics is still much a part of who I am. My ethics and values are driven by what I’ve learned through athletics. The way I live is based on what my coaches taught me. You have to set goals in life and work, and you always have to work hard. You learn to continue to work through disappointments, and you don’t let them get you down. I’m proud of having been an athlete.”

Dennis Bruens has since earned a Masters in Public Administration and is Director of Planning at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colo. He currently enjoys participating in a variety of sports with his family, including skiing, golf, basketball and soccer.

Kevin Belcher’s Bio
Five-year-old Kevin liked to play catch, a lot. Two of his older brothers had the patience to endlessly toss the ball back and forth – and back and forth to little Kevin. By the time he was in Little League, his throwing skills already far-exceeded those of his teammates.

He was always first team, all-district in junior and senior high. His abilities shined, but coaches, while well-meaning, didn’t really know what advice to give Kevin in order to advance his baseball career beyond high school. It was a small 4A high school that didn’t normally attract the attention of college recruiters and pro scouts. In his senior year he hit .998, committed one error and had a 3.0 grade point average.

He was an exceptional player, and he knew it, but he didn’t have the guidance and exposure needed to go beyond high school baseball. Kevin said he is a prime example of the type of athlete Sportsrecruitingscouts.com can help.

Kevin graduated from high school in 1985. While he still loved baseball, he enrolled at Prairie View University, a small Texas college, and set his dreams aside for a year. In the summer of 1986 Kevin played in a summer league and caught the attention of a high-school baseball coach who had taken South Grand Prairie High School to the state championships. Recognizing great talent, he advised Kevin to enroll at Navarro Junior College (a school closely watched by the major league scouts) and go out for the team as a walk-on.

Kevin followed this counsel and, while maintaining a 3.0 average, went all out in his attempt to secure recognition for his talents on the field. Whenever the coach called special meetings for the scholarship players, Kevin showed up, too – always sitting in the front row. Kevin’s confidence in himself and the athletic talents he demonstrated on the field resulted in an athletic scholarship for the 1987 spring term. Out on the field, he was finally in position to show off his talents and catch the attention of pro scouts – and they noticed!

That spring, he was drafted in the 6th round by the Texas Rangers and started off in their instructional league. In 1987-88 he made team captain over many who went on to gain fame out on the field, including “Pudge” Rogriguez, Sammy Sosa, Juan Gonzales, Billy Hasselman & Darren Oliver. Following a year on the A Team, playing out of Gaston, NC, and a short stint in Double-A and Triple-A, he reached his dream – playing in the Major Leagues.

This dream was short-lived. After one season playing outfielder for the Texas Rangers, disaster struck and he underwent shoulder surgery. This kept him off the field for a season, and in 1993 he was traded to the Chicago White Soxs and played in the minor leagues. A second shoulder surgery brought a halt to his baseball career. It was time to move on. Kevin’s first baseball card touted him as the “hardest worker in the Ranger organization.” The work ethic that drove him to succeed in baseball now provided the stimulus for him to succeed off the field. Kevin now works as a credit analyst for Silverleaf Resorts.