Senior athletes will be focused on more than just putting on their uniforms and lacing up their cleats this year. With college right around the corner, something else is sitting at the back of their mind. Most students know of the athletes that are committed to play the game of their dreams at big-name schools, but they don’t know what those athletes had to go through to get there. Countless emails are sent to college coaches, weekends are occupied with showcase tournaments and mounting piles of stress are just a few things that come with getting a scholarship.
The whole process begins without the athlete even knowing. Division one schools start recruiting earlier than we think. “There are eighth graders out there who have verbally committed to play for a college,” said president of Maryland Wagner’s softball, Dave Salisbury. Usually, colleges and universities only start looking at athletes when they reach out to them first with an email or letter. The coaches will mainly look at general numbers; such as weight, height, GPA and sport-specific rankings. After athletes spike their targeted schools’ attention, the school starts to narrow down it’s pool of recruits.
Every coach has their own style and desire of athlete. Salisbury said, “Win or lose, a coach wants to know that the athlete did their best not only athletically, but also academically.” In order to recruit those athletes, some coaches study highlight reels, some talk to an athlete’s coach and some just go to watch the athlete perform. Whichever form of evaluation the coaches like, it is the responsibility of the athlete to follow-up with the coach. It is essential for an athlete to communicate with coaches, even though it may be difficult, stressful or inconvenient at some times. Senior Ellie Schepens said, “The hardest part was definitely having to communicate with the coaches when they couldn’t respond back or couldn’t call back if [I called and] they didn’t pick up the first time.” (Schepens will be attending the University of Delaware in the fall and is going to be playing for their girls field hockey team).
Along with frequent communication, organization is key for an athlete to keep a coach’s attention. A pamphlet or brochure with all of your academic achievements/ information, personal contact information and personal statistics are preferred by most coaches. This burst of information can pull a coach more towards a specific athlete’s direction if the coach sees something they like. “Some coaches only recruit players six feet in height for first base, some only recruit players with a GPA of 3.8 or higher. But most are looking for that player stands out as a great teammate and athlete,” said former college coach Jeff Galbreath.
When coaches think they are ready to offer a athlete a spot on their team, or maybe even a scholarship, athletes will begin to experience a new level of stress. Senior Claire Domsick said, “The hardest part was all the stress put on me about committing.” (Domsick will be attending the University of Oregon and will be playing girls lacrosse). Almost every athlete will wonder if the school is the right fit for them, if their program is well suited for them and which scholarships he/she would be eligible for. In some cases an athlete’s sport finds them the perfect school. Senior Sarah Elms is one of those cases. “The school I chose is the perfect fit for me and I wouldn’t have been introduced to it if it weren’t for lacrosse.” (Elms will be attending Jacksonville University and will also be playing girls lacrosse).
The next step is usually the athlete’s favorite. The burden of searching, emailing coaches, visiting campuses and all of those long weekends on the field will finally come to a break; it is time for them to commit. Senior Cian Chung said, “It was a relief to finally commit, it felt like all of my hard work had payed off and I was happy I could do something I love and keep playing in college.” (Chung will be at UMBC playing for the men’s lacrosse team). Until an athlete signs his or her NLI (national letter of intent), the school can revoke their commitment due to poor behavior, academic ineligibilities or even a change in coaching staff. It is the responsibility of the athlete to act professional, keep their grades up and stay healthy. “Grades are a huge part of financial aid, scholarship packaging and athlete retention. Most coaches won’t invest their time and money recruiting an athlete who may not be admitted into their school or is going to fail or or become academically ineligible,” said Jeff Galbreath.