OLATHE, Kan. — There are lots of great high school student-athletes in the Kansas City area, but often only the top athletes get much exposure.
An Overland Park-based company, Team Cura, helps local student-athletes that may not get as much attention make themselves more marketable to college recruits.
"We've created primarily videos, but we also have guides," Team Cura CEO Karen Hughey said. "We also have resources. We have e-books, so that the students can learn at their pace. Those top athletes in any sport, they're being noticed by those coaches. We're really looking at just about everybody else, because that's such a small percentage of the student-athletes.
"So, the rest of the students like Rob (Hughey), my son, who's working with us, he had to go out and market himself. We're giving them more tools to be able and communicate well and be confident when they go and talk to that coach."
Students can learn through subscription-based video lessons offered on the Team Cura website as well as different marketing techniques that are non-athletic based.
The company focuses on character, off-the-field demeanor and positive social media branding, which can inevitably make or break a student-athlete's chances of getting recruited.
"We find that a lot of times, athletes have the talent and the athletic ability to get noticed, but athletic organizations, future employers, they really are looking for that character aspect and that's what we focus on," Team Cura Business Development Manager Rob Hughey said. "We develop the interpersonal skills you can use on and off the field in sports, school and life that creates the well-rounded individual on and off the field."
Team Cura started in 2019, but they've already made strides in helping local student-athletes gain that extra edge with various college recruits.
