YD3 FAQs

YD3 helps dedicated student-athletes pursue their academic, athletic, and professional goals through college sports. The platform combines development, mentorship, research, and analytical tools to ensure athletes evaluate colleges where they can compete, grow academically, and build a strong foundation for life after graduation.

Rather than focusing solely on exposure to coaches, YD3 encourages athletes to think strategically about where they will develop the most during their college years and to approach recruiting with college and career horizons.

YD3 combines high-touch and high-tech methods to guide student-athletes through college recruiting and decisions with greater clarity and perspective.

The program, the first of its kind, combines an educational curriculum, mentorship and proprietary evaluation and recruiting tools, to optimize college opportunities where student-athletes will play, learn and thrive.

YD3 is valuable for high school recruits who want to compete in college and capitalize on academic opportunities. Many participants are attracted to programs where athletics complement academics rather than overshadow them. The platform is useful for families, coaches and counselors who want a clearer understanding of the recruiting landscape, admissions process, financial aid and merit awards, and the vast array of strong D3 options available to prospective student-athletes.

Most recruiting services emphasize how to get recruited and gain exposure to college coaches.

YD3 also focuses on decision-making and positive outcomes. The platform exists to encourage student-athletes to consider the entire college experience — including academic priorities, campus culture, and personal development — as part of their recruiting exploration. This approach helps athletes avoid common recruiting mistakes, such as selecting a school based solely on athletics while overlooking other important factors that develop confidence and promote success.

YD3 emerged from years examining the college recruiting landscape and student-athletes’ experiences during and post college. Our research revealed that many college athletes transfer schools, lose interest in competing, or feel that their college choice did not align with their expectations. YD3 was created to evolve and improve the process so student-athletes receive better guidance and information to make empowered decisions.

Mentorship plays a central role in the YD3 experience. YD3 mentors are former Division III student-athletes who credit their collegiate experience with shaping their personal growth and early professional success. They’ve done what high school student-athletes are going through.

Mentors are not a coach talking theory, not a consultant who read about D3, but someone who lived through recruiting, sat in the locker room, and made the decision high school recruits are looking to make.

They provide perspective on topics ranging from recruiting timelines to campus life and career development. By sharing firsthand insights, mentors help younger recruits approach important decisions with greater confidence.

YD3’s founders and mentors have deep experience within Division III athletics, which strongly influenced the platform’s philosophy. Division III programs stress academic engagement, leadership opportunities, and long-term development — values that closely align with YD3’s mission to “turn ambition into achievement and achievement into impact.” D3 institutions promote those aims.

YD3 also operates a new media platform, YD3 Network, that highlights achievements and experiences of D3 student-athletes. These stories showcase the influence of Division III athletics beyond competition.

Coverage includes:

• Feature stories about student-athletes and programs
• Interviews with coaches and leaders in college athletics
• Podcasts exploring recruiting, leadership, and career paths
• Multimedia storytelling about the broader impact of college sports

Yes, certainly. YD3 is division agnostic. We strongly support a student-athlete’s ambition to continue their athletic career in college. We draw the line when a student-athlete is forced to compromise their education. Less than 2% of all college athletes turn pro; the vast majority, therefore, will rely on their credential and education post college. When considering roster offers, we advocate for the opportunity, programs and coaches who recruit the student-athlete as a whole person.