Jason Blydell understands how valuable the real-life experience of a U.S. military veteran can be. Now he’s part of a company hoping college sports programs across America will catch on.
Blydell, a former Dartmouth College football and baseball player, is the director of sales and business development for Athletes of Valor, a Massachusetts-based startup whose goal is to link servicemen with collegiate teams.
The parallels between sports and the military are well-known — each requiring lots of sweat and teamwork to overcome obstacles — yet many veterans don’t realize the traits they develop on duty are desirable to many college coaches.
“A lot of them think, ‘I’m too old’ or ‘I’m ineligible,’ neither of which are true,” said Blydell, 31, a 2008 Dartmouth graduate and former U.S. Marines company commander. “They don’t realize that the opportunity is there, that a lot of coaches are looking for players of their character and abilities.”
Founded by Blydell’s fellow Swampscott (Mass.) High School alumnus Alex Stone, Athletes of Valor in its pilot year so far has attracted 15 partner colleges, who pay a fee to access recruitment profiles created by the athletes and posted to www.athletesofvalor.com.
Active servicemen also may post profiles, which contain basic biographic info (height and weight; athletic, academic and military experience) as well as highlight videos.
Some of the footage might be left over from their high school packages or newly created to showcase athletic abilities often enhanced by training in the military.
There also is space for biographies and additional videos, allowing athletes to recite basic info about themselves and what they hope to accomplish for prospective coaches to view.
Free to veterans and servicemen, the site has already attracted more than 1,000 posts since launching last November, Blydell said.
“We’re essentially trying to flip the recruitment model,” Blydell said. “Whereas a lot of recruitment sites charge high school kids to post their profiles, we feel like veterans offer unique value to college sports programs, and we’re working with athletic departments that feel the same way.”
Finding an outlet such as college sports can be vitally important for veterans, who often have been immersed in intense, high-purpose environments for years and may struggle to thrive upon returning to everyday citizenry.
Only 50 percent of veterans who enroll in college graduate, according to Athletes of Valor, while 85 percent of college athletes do so.
“That (50 percent) figure includes two-year community college degrees, culinary degrees and business certificates,” Blydell said. “The rate is even lower when you start talking about (the pursuit of) four-year degrees. Sometimes, veterans are a little older and might feel out of touch and not truly connected to the campus, but the structure involved with being part of a football or baseball team, for example, just having that regimented practice schedule and forming a bond with teammates, helps them embrace being at the school.”
As for potential age gaps between veteran players and their mostly undergraduate teammates, it hasn’t seemed to hinder the experience. Former Dartmouth running back Kevin Price, a six-year Army veteran, was in his early 30s when he suited up for the Big Green for two seasons before graduating in 2014.
Dartmouth football coach Buddy Teevens noted that Price’s maturity was mostly a boon to his relationship with teammates.
“He was married with a child and lived off campus, so there were some adjustments for him, but he really did a wonderful job with us,” Teevens said. “He was six to eight years older than the rest of the team, but he had a lot of maturity, wisdom and perspective that I think a lot of the other players looked up to. … I asked him to speak to the team once about his experiences, and the guys were transfixed.”
Blydell pointed toward Andy Staten, who at age 39 suited up for NAIA Culver-Stockton College in Missouri in 2014.
“That’s maybe an extreme example, but it goes to show that you’re never too old to do what you want to do, and that these opportunities exist,” Blydell said.
So far, Athletes of Valor has linked veterans mainly with football programs, including Saugus, Mass., resident and Army veteran Deric Maddaleni to Endicott College, Georgia native and ex-Marine Alexander Findura to Bloomsburg (Pa.) University and recent Navy vet Andrew Boulware, of Norfolk, Va., to Hampton University.
Another five veteran athletes are all committed to NAIA Union College in Kentucky beginning this fall, Blydell said.
Athletes of Valor recently joined the MassChallenge accelerator program, partaking in start-up workshops and utilizing resources in Boston’s seaport district. The company also plans to hold several combine-style workouts for prospective veteran college athletes in the coming months.
In addition to linking military personnel with college sports teams, Athletes of Valor has formed relationships with corporate partners to help members pursue internship and employment opportunities, Blydell said.
“It’s all about helping them with the transition,” said Blydell, who had 71 career tackles and three forced fumbles in 22 games for the Big Green football team while batting .263 over four baseball seasons. “College sports create bonds that last a lifetime.”
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.