Privacy Policy

Forge ("Company," "we," "us," "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our users, especially the student athletes who use our platform. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services (the "Platform").

By using the Platform, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use the Platform.

2.1 Information You Provide

When you create an account and use the Platform, you may provide:

• Account Information: Email address, password, and account type (player or coach)
• Profile Information: Name, graduation year, age/age range, gender, location (city, state)
• Athletic Information: Playing position, current team, athletic level, height, weight, dominant foot, highlight videos
• Academic Information: Academic band (GPA range), intended major, standardized test scores (optional)
• Recruiting Preferences: Preferred divisions, regions, school sizes, scholarship requirements
• Coach Information (for coaches): Institution, title, recruiting preferences

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you access the Platform, we automatically collect:

• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, actions taken, time spent on the Platform
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, IP address
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: See Section 7 for details

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide the Service: Create and manage your account, generate match recommendations, facilitate connections between players and coaches
• Personalize Your Experience: Tailor match results and recommendations based on your profile and preferences
• Improve the Platform: Analyze usage patterns to improve features and user experience
• Communicate with You: Send service updates, security alerts, and support messages
• Protect the Platform: Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats
• Comply with Legal Obligations: Respond to legal requests and prevent harm

4.1 Sharing with Coaches

When your profile is discoverable, coaches may see:

• Your name, graduation year, and location
• Athletic information (position, level, team, physical stats)
• Academic band (NOT exact GPA unless you choose to share it)
• Highlight videos
• Recruiting preferences

4.2 Service Providers

We may share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as:

• Hosting and database services (Supabase, Vercel)
• Payment processing (Stripe)
• Analytics services
• Customer support tools

These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only for the services they provide to us.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government request, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

4.4 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will provide notice before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

5.1 Age Banding

We use "banded" values instead of exact information where appropriate. For example, we collect academic band (GPA range) rather than exact GPA by default. This provides coaches with useful recruiting information while limiting exposure of sensitive data.

5.2 Coach Verification

Coaches must be approved before accessing player profiles. We verify institutional affiliation to ensure only legitimate college coaches can search for and view player information.

5.3 Contact Protection

Personal contact information (phone, personal email) is only shared with coaches if the player explicitly enables this in their privacy settings. Initial communication occurs through the Platform.

5.4 Parental Rights

Parents or guardians of users under 18 may request access to their child's information, request corrections, or request deletion of the account. Contact us at privacy@forgerecruiting.com with proof of parental relationship.

Active Accounts: We retain your information for as long as your account is active. We may also retain certain information after account closure for legal compliance, dispute resolution, and fraud prevention.

Inactive Accounts: Accounts inactive for more than 24 months may be flagged for deletion. We will attempt to notify you before deleting an inactive account.

Deleted Data: When you delete your account, we delete your personal information from our active databases within 30 days. Some information may persist in backups for up to 90 days.

Anonymized Data: We may retain anonymized, aggregated data (which cannot identify you) for analytics and platform improvement purposes.

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Essential Cookies: Maintain your session and provide core functionality
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
• Analytics Cookies: Understand how users interact with the Platform

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect Platform functionality.

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and personal information
• Portability: Request your data in a portable format
• Restrict Processing: Request limitations on how we use your data
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing where applicable

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@forgerecruiting.com. We will respond within 30 days.

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
• Secure authentication and access controls
• Regular security assessments and monitoring
• Employee training on data protection

However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and you use the Platform at your own risk.

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected and how it is used
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising CCPA rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@forgerecruiting.com or call us at the number provided below.

The Platform is operated in the United States. If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

By using the Platform, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting a notice on the Platform or sending you an email. Your continued use of the Platform after changes become effective indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

For privacy-related requests, please include "Privacy Request" in your subject line and provide enough information for us to verify your identity.