As a young boy, I came from a very athletically involved family playing football, basketball, and baseball. I came from good stock as my dad played football for UCLA in his hay-day.

For me, that made the dreams of playing at the college level, and eventually at the professional level seem somewhat attainable. But my high school football career was short-lived after I sustained a serious knee injury in my senior year. My dad, however, saw my potential and re-directed my energy to track and field.

At thejunior college level, I competed in all four throwing events (javelin, discuss, shot put, and hammer) and excelled at the javelin. I started getting noticed by Division I colleges offering NCAA scholarships, and finally decided to commit to Cal State University, Northridge. During that time, I was a two-time NCAA qualifier in my sport.

Why am I telling you this? Because I've been there. I get it. As the area director for National Scouting Report ( www.nsr-inc.com), my goal is to educate and evaluate the top-level student athletes in their sport throughout Los Angeles.

Your son or daughter's athletic ability alone will not get them noticed. Having been an NCAA scholarship recipient myself, I understand both sides of the process, and in today's college experience, while the same 30 - 40 colleges are out there, the number of students looking to get into these schools is greater than ever.

And while a scholarship greatly defrays the cost associated with a college-level education, being awarded an athletic scholarship is much more competitive, requiring proper marketability for your son or daughter.

As the world's oldest and largest college scouting organization, National Scouting Report has been in business for over 25 years. It is NCAA-approved and rated #1 by college coaches, and is endorsed by the "American Coaches Federation."

By developing a clean, professional, and accessible program for your child, he or she can get the exposure needed so the offers start coming in. If you believe your student athlete has what it takes to compete at the college level, I will be happy to set up an interview and evaluate qualifications. Stay tuned for open houses to be scheduled in the Los Angeles area.

For more information, feel free to visit my site at: http://www.nsr-inc.com/ca/rkaufman/index.htm. I am also available by phone 661-993-4360, or e-mail, rkaufman@nationalscoutingreport.org.