Who are we?

The College Admissions Planner ("CAP") is a software product created by the Headfirst College Advisory Team ("HCAT"), the premier national college advisory program for aspiring college athletes. HCAT provides student-athletes and their families comprehensive athletic and academic counseling geared toward helping students maximize their options for college. The sole mission of HCAT is to helping student-athletes find the right college experience for them, both in the classroom and on the field.

HCAT consists of a network of former college and professional players, professional educational consultants, and former college coaches. Together, this network of professionals is uniquely situated to help families navigate the nuances of the ever-expanding recruiting and application processes.

Our senior staff includes:

Brendan Sullivan, HCAT Co-Executive Director,

Graduate of Stanford University (1996), where he led the Cardinal in saves and appearances during his sophomore season and participated in the 1995 College World Series. Brendan was also named Cape Cod League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 1995.
5-year professional career in the San Diego Padres organization.
Executive Director of Headfirst, Headfirst Baseball and the Headfirst Honor Roll Camps since 2000.
Named 2004 Double-Goal Coach of the Year by the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA).

Rob Elwood, HCAT Co-Executive Director,

Graduate of Amherst College (1996), where he played football and baseball, earning Rookie of the Year honors on the diamond before serving two years as team captain. Served as assistant coach of both sports at Amherst after graduating.
Front office experience with the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox.
Co-Executive Director of Headfirst, Headfirst Baseball and the Headfirst Honor Roll Camps since 2000.

Justin Cronk, HCAT Director,

Graduate of Amherst College (1997), where he played baseball and football, batting over .400 his senior season.
College coaching experience at Division I and Division III levels (Amherst College, 1998; Boston College, 1999 (Asst. Coach & Recruiting Coordinator); UNC-Asheville, 2000 (Asst. Coach & Recruiting Coordinator); Shenandoah U., 2001-2003 (Head Coach).
Director of Baseball Instruction & Curriculum for Headfirst Baseball since 2004. Head Coach of Headfirst Gamers Select Teams (18U), 2005-Present.

John Bramlette, HCAT Associate Director

Graduate of Haverford College (2000), where he played baseball and earned Most Improved Player honors his senior season.
Graduate of George Washington University Law School (2005) with over two years experience as a practicing attorney (Nixon Peabody LLP). John also has experience as an Adjunct Professor of Law at his alma mater.
Assistant & Head Coach of Headfirst Gamers Select Teams (15U, 16U, 18U), 2003-Present.
Twice nominated for the Double-Year Coach of the Year Award by the Positive Coaching Alliance. (2004, 2006).

Bruce Vinik, HCAT Academic Director

Founder and Director of Vinik Educational Placement Services, Inc.
Former Director of College Counseling and Director of Admissions at Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC.
Over twenty years experience as a teacher and administrator at independent schools
Former high school and middle school principal at independent schools
Graduate of Duke University (Bachelor's and Master's Degrees)
Alumni Interviewer for Duke University