By Freeman Ramsey III

Tennessee Athlete will serve as a platform for athletes in the state of Tennessee to be exposed to a national audience via the World Wide Web. Tennessee is not known for producing nationally recruited athletes as frequently as states such as: Florida, Texas, and California. However, TN Athlete thinks that this is due to the minimal exposure given to high school athletics in the state of Tennessee. There are athletes from Tennessee playing in every conference of college athletics.

Patrick Turner of Goodpasture High School was rated the number one wide receiver recruit in the nation by most recruiting services in 2005 and signed with the USC Trojans. Brandon Warren of Alcoa High School was rated the number two weakside defensive end and the number one tight end in the nation in 2006 and signed with the Florida State Seminoles. Chris Donald of Huntingdon High School was rated the number one strongside linebacker in the nation in 2007 and was being recruited by a number of national football powers. He eventually signed with the Tennessee Volunteers. Brandon Wright of Brentwood High School was rated the number one power forward and in the top three basketball recruits nationally in 2006 and signed with the North Carolina Tarheels. Thaddeus Young of Memphis Mitchell was rated the number three small forward and in the top five recruits nationally in 2006 and signed with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Tennessee had two of the top five basketball recruits in the nation. These athletes were given national exposure due to their tremendous talent but there are a multitude of athletes that fall through the cracks; athletes that did not attend the summer camps or play on the AAU circuit. TN Athlete will provide a stage to showcase “blue-chip” athletes as well as those that recruiters rate as “2 or 3 star” recruits. TN Athlete will give information about each recruit, measurables, stats, video highlights, and insight into the actual recruitment. Initially, TN Athlete will focus on football and basketball. Eventually, other sports including, but not limited to: baseball, soccer, volleyball and softball will be added. TN Athlete will not be in the business of ranking, rating, or prognosticating on where athletes will spend their college years. TN Athlete will be in the business of showcasing athletes from Tennessee for two reasons: 1.) to put Tennessee in the national recruiting spotlight and 2.) to give the so-called “second-tier” athletes (not due to talent but due to lack of exposure) a chance at possible scholarships opportunities.

Company Goals and Objectives:

TN Athlete's goal is to become the number one source of information on athletes from the state of Tennessee. When coaches, recruiting analysts, or recruiting enthusiasts want to know about an athlete in Tennessee, TN Athlete is where they will look for information. TN Athlete's goal is also to develop a strong sense of pride amongst athletes from Tennessee. A feeling that they are equal to “blue-chip” states like: Florida, Texas, and California. These goals will be achieved through the strategic planning of information gathering, the lack of bias regarding reporting, fostering productive relationships with coaches and school principals, and intensive marketing efforts. Lastly, TN Athlete’s goal is to offer exposure for talented athletes that may otherwise go unnoticed.

Business Philosophy:

Integrity is the foundation of TN Athlete. Information will be honest, accurate, and free from bias.

Reliability is the anchor of TN Athlete. Information will consistently be quality-driven and dependable.

Customer Satisfaction drives TN Athlete; it’s the very essence of the business. Customer Satisfaction will enable TN Athlete to increase membership and create a dedicated following.