Every now and then there comes a time when one of our great contributors has to move on to follow their passion, and in many ways proves that we identify the very best and brightest in the football industry is on point.

Yesterday, Coach Kurt Beathard is back re-united to the program that is one of the very top programs in D1 FCS football, the Illinois State Redbirds.  We were so very fortunate to have Kurt on our team at GES but are so happy that he once again finds a program that he will bring so much value to.  We know that Head Coach Brock Spack is excited to bring Coach Beathard back into the fold in what promises to be a resurgent ISU Offense!

Wishing Kurt the very best of luck with and his wife, Karen and their three daughters: LaRae, Grace and Eva.

Go Redbirds!

It was Fall 2003 when Shemy Schembechler, who was directing the scouting efforts in the Northeast on behalf of the Washington Redskins, sat down to visit with the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at West Virginia University by the name of Mike Barwis. There were two things that were immediately evident and clear, first and foremost was his clear enthusiasm and passion!  Second was his complete devotion to those under his care.  Mike has brought these rare qualities to the forefront of his quickly expanding organization at Barwis Methods, which was created to be the destination for all things related to human motion and performance. Having followed Mike’s career from West Virginia to Michigan and then to the professional ranks, we are not the least bit surprised as to the heights of his success! GES is proud to partner with Mike and his outstanding team of coaches and trainers as we continue to push the level of excellence that we demand on ourselves.  Take a look at the inspiring video below to understand what we are talking about!

It was an honor and privilege to share time with a fellow football junkie in Josh Helmholdt who is one of the top high school football evaluators there is!  Josh serves as a recruiting analyst for Rivals.com and has had a long and successful tenure with this great organization.

Tune in right below for this enlightening exchange!

Our Team continues to attract the very best and brightest in the coaching and teaching industry and Master Joe Kim represents precisely these covenants that we always aspire to be.

Having earned his first black belt at the age of 11, Coach Kim has gone on to develop another 250 Black Belts over his career all while coaching and training many of the premiere pass rushers in the NFL like Tamba Hali, Justin Houston and Ryan Kerrigan.

What separates Master Kim is his absolute devotion to those under his care and his commitment to serving their best interest at all times.  He does this by demanding the most out of himself which in turn leads every student he works with.

Coach Schembechler had an old saying that has been passed down through the ages, “You either get better or you get worse, you never stay the same.”  It is clear that the former is true when it comes to Master Kim!  Thank you Coach, we are very excited to have you on the Team!

One of the great aspects of our team at GES is that we know who we are as we operate with the highest levels of honesty and integrity.  It is not often that we find others that have the same faculties that we do on top of the idea that they have similar goals and aspirations.  This is exactly what we have found with our new partners at “That’s a D1.” 

Today we are excited to come together with Kristi and Sam Ferguson, the Founders of “That’s a D1″ which is a parent centered organization that seeks to educate families of all aspiring athletes from their youth all the way through high school.  With their upcoming line of sports apparel as well as educational platforms for parents of all athletes and students, this program will set the standard for excellence and achievement.

Their deep commitment to developing young people through leadership and accountability, the concept of “grinding for your stars” is the basis for anyone interested in becoming a D1 not just in sports, but more importantly in Life!

Stay tuned as we will be launching a short series of free educational webinars that will begin on Tuesday, September 5th for those that choose to be motivated!

Check out their website here to learn more! https://www.thatsad1.com/

A special thanks to Mike Fitzpatrick for having me on the show!  We discuss the great progress we have made with GES as well as my best effort to forecast the Michigan Football Team for 2017!

All the best!

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Mike Gittleson is one of my all-time favorite heroes.  My Dad hired Mike in the summer of 1978 as the very first strength and conditioning coach in the history of The University of Michigan Athletics. He served Michigan football faithfully for 30 years and was one of my Fathers’ most trusted advisors.

One of the reasons that made him special was his unrivaled reverence for the history of the Michigan program. Like my Father, Mike took it upon himself to learn the rich history that included Coach Fielding H. Yost who is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in Michigan history. He harnessed that reverence into true motivation for each and every player that he coached.  One day, he took the following passage from Coach Yost and hung it at the entrance for every player to read and commit to memory. The sign reads as follows:

“… no man can be a football player who does not love the game.  Half-heartedness or lack of earnestness will eliminate any man from a football team.  The love of the game must be genuine.  It is not devotion to a fad that makes men play football; it is because they enjoy their struggle.”

Memorize or Run

Get Strong

There is no one that I know of today that has the loyalty of the players that were fortunate to work Mike,  it is because he made them understand what it takes to be successful!  Thank You Coach Yost and Coach Gittleson!

GES Advisory Company believes very strongly in our partners that have a keen understanding of the difference that our program brings to the football recruiting space that cannot be replicated anywhere in the country.  When we can bring those individuals with long standing experience that includes coaching and NFL scouting pedigrees on board, it continues the excellence that will place our organization as the most comprehensive anywhere.  Jeff Bauer personifies that standard.

Jeff brings 13 years of NFL scouting experience where his last stop was with the New York Jets organization where he served many different roles including the Director of College Scouting. Prior to his time in the NFL he spent 11 years as an accomplished middle school and high school football coach, including 6 years in Houston, TX and 5 year in Overland Park, KS.

A native of Ankeny, IA , Bauer earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Iowa State University and his master’s degree in administration from Prairie View A&M.  He was a 4-year letter winner at Iowa State from 1987-1990 where he played strong safety. Bayer resides in Ankeny, IA with his wife Amy, and their three children: sons Jordan and Jase, and daughter Ashlynna.

Like many of us who spent any amount of time in the NFL, there were those that set the standard for excellence that we aspired to reach.  One of those great leaders was Bobby Beathard who set the standard for all the General Managers who came after him.  He spent 4 decades perfecting his talent evaluation and leadership skills that built the Washington Redskins as one of the premiere organizations in the history of the league.

His legacy lives on through our newest partner Kurt Beathard who is the Founder and President of the Beathard School of Football based in the Nashville, TN area. Kurt brings over 30 years of football experience ranging from college to the pros and represents the best that coaching has to offer on both sides of the ball. He is joined by his brother Jeff who is a long time NFL scout currently with the Carolina Panthers.  Take a look at his program here: http://beathardschooloffootball.com/home/4970469

He represents everything that we look for in a GES partner and could not be more excited to bring him to the Team!