Rock Report · Stories from the Pathway
// The Rock Report

The Rock Report.

Recruiting education, family stories, alumni updates, and lessons from the pathway. Written for parents, players, and everyone building the next generation of Polynesian student-athletes.

Money Game

Receiving a 1099 for Your NIL Contract: What to Expect

A 1099 usually means taxes were not withheld from an athlete income. Families should understand the form, the payment type and the records needed before tax season.

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Athlete Spotlight

Tarquin Schwalger’s Next Step at IMG Academy

Tarquin Schwalger grew up in Auckland, found football through an unexpected path and is now taking the next step in his development at IMG Academy.

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Get Seen

Dead Period, Quiet Period, Contact Period: What Families Need to Know

Recruiting calendars can be confusing. Here is a plain-English guide to contact periods, quiet periods, dead periods and what families should do during each one.

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Recruiting

Get Seen: Recruiting Starts With Visibility

Talent matters, but exposure matters too. We’ll help families understand how athletes can improve their recruiting profiles, build better film, find scholarship opportunities and get in front of the right people.

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Profile

Troy Polamalu Was Built Before the Spotlight

Polamalu’s Hall of Fame career is a reminder that the world may celebrate stars at the top, but families and communities shape them long before everyone knows the name.

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Profile

Talanoa Hufanga Was Ready When the Window Opened

Hufanga’s path from Polynesian High School National Player of the Year to USC star and NFL safety shows what happens when talent, preparation and fit meet the right opportunity.

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College

The Four Jobs Every College Football Player Has to Manage

The college athlete’s life is built around academics, football, professional obligations and social life. The athletes who last are usually the ones who learn how to prioritize before the schedule gets heavy.

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Recruiting

Recruiting Has a Calendar. Families Need to Know It.

NCAA recruiting calendars help define when and how coaches may recruit prospective student-athletes. Those windows should shape when families update film, plan visits, choose camps and prepare for communication.

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Announcements

Welcome to the Rock Report

Recruiting is the maze most families never see coming. This is where we share what we've learned — so the next generation walks a road paved with knowledge, not questions.

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Announcement

The Path Starts Here

I’m Keiki Misipeka, founder of Kid From The Rock and former Director of Player Personnel & NIL Engagement at the University of Miami. After years in college football, I launched this service to help student-athletes and their families better understand today’s recruiting landscape.

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NIL

Money Game: Before the First NIL Check

NIL has created real opportunity, but it has also created real confusion. This section will focus on education: what NIL is, what it is not, what families should expect, and how athletes can think about money, brand value and long-term decisions the right way.

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Recruiting

Build the Player: College-Ready Means More Than Game-Ready

Talent matters, but exposure matters too. We’ll help families understand how athletes can improve their recruiting profiles, build better film, find scholarship opportunities and get in front of the right people.

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