A seminar to prepare parents and athletes for the recruiting road ahead — complete with all its bumps — will be held on Thursday, May 18 at 7 p.m. at Lord Botetourt High School.

“Guiding the College-Bound Athlete” will provide information and topics for every student-athlete in middle and high school and their parents to educate and prepare them for opportunities and careers after graduation. Many student-athletes who aspire to play at the college level are not familiar with the ins and outs of academic requirements and eligibility as they need to be in order to pursue their goals.

“Guiding the College-Bound Athlete,” a program designed by Rick Wire, president of Dynamite Sports, a Pennsylvania-based corporation, is the father of nine-year NFL veteran Coy Wire. This seminar will provide families with information about the availability of athletic scholarships and the realities of the college recruiting process.

According to his press release, Rick Wire found himself looking for answers when his then 8-year-old son, Coy, started talking about being a college football star. Wire hadn’t attended college himself and decided he had better start preparing for the future. He questioned other parents who had been through the process, looking for pros and cons and ways to prepare financially. In the end, his son Coy earned his scholarship to play football at Stanford University. Then in 2002, Coy was drafted in the third round of the NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills where he played for six seasons and then finished his career for the past three seasons as a captain and player rep with the Atlanta Falcons.

Rick used his study to become a speaker and expert in college athletics and its recruiting process. Then he created the Dynamite Sports Educational Recruiting System, which combines academic preparation and athletic training with marketing and recruiting strategies to navigate through the process. The plan provides direction to high school athletes and parents, and staff development training and resources to high school coaches and counselors to help all parties make knowledgeable choices and decisions in college athletics and recruiting.

Rick will present a 40-minute seminar at 7 p.m. in the Lord Botetourt High School gym. The program will follow the Parent-Athlete Meeting for rising freshmen and juniors.

For information about Dynamite Sports, go to www.dynamitesports.com.