As a kid, many young athletes love playing their sport solely for fun. As they grow up and play in high school competitively, they will get the chance to go to collegfe for what they love and will have to face the college recruiting process.
For many athletes aspiring to go to college for their sport, the recruiting process starts in high school. It can be different at times, depending on the sport, but typically sophomore to senior year will be where this process hits the hardest.
During the recruiting process, college coaches and athletes reach out to one another in an attempt to make a bond that will lead to a potential recruitment. While this may seem like a simple process, it can be quite the opposite. Hundreds of unwanted emails, handfuls of unanswered phone calls and having to be consistent with your communication with your communication and your game, can be exhausting.
“Being able to visit other colleges and what they had to offer me… it was very stressful and put a lot of weight on my shoulders everyday,” junior Liam Parsons said.
Athletes are not only pressured to figure out what and where they want to play in college, but also if the school fits their academic needs. Athletes feel stressed during this process. They are asked to answer many questions about their future while continuing to improve their skills. This can be especially stressful for an athlete who is uneducated on the process.
When talking to an anonymous college coach about his opinion on the process as a whole, he said that it can be overwhelming for the coaches and athletes, but also unnecessarily expensive.
For a student to get their name out their for coaches, they must constantly email them, and also show up to their camps and be perfect on that day. They must go to the tournaments that recruiters watch, play their best game and constantly be in their view or in their inbox to get considered.
This process can come with constant stress, pressure to perform daily and hit to the bank account. But while this may be a high price, there are a special handful of athletes willing to go through it just so they can play their sport.
“Why show up to all these practices and put in so much effort if not to swim in college?” junior and swimmer Tate Alexander asked.
Some people just want to keep competing, others need money in the form of scholarships to get their education and others like Alexander do it because of all the effort they have already put into their sport.
Navigating this process can be confusing to do alone for the first time, but Caitlin Fowler, who is currently in the recruiting process for volleyball, says “It’s important to be humble and know not all opportunities will come easily and it’s okay to ask for help.”
Parsons says “To not be afriad of what they might think of you, because it’s worth a shot even if you don’t get it.” But unanimously, the biggest advice was to stay consistent and continue to send emails to college coaches.
Going to college for your sport is a huge achivement that takes a lot of hard work, determination and consistency.
Congratulation to East Meck’s 2024-2025 Senior Commits!
