Almost every athlete dreams of someday making it to the collegiate level. State High athletes in a wide variety of sports have decided to take this step over the years, committing to college athletics. But to do so, they must go through the complicated process of recruiting.
Communication is the main aspect of recruiting. The summer after an athlete’s sophomore year, coaches are able to reach out to them as a prospect. On the other hand, athletes can contact coaches at any point during their career, and after sophomore year, can converse with the coaches to learn more about the team and the details of committing to that school.
Senior Madison Watschke, D1 swimming commit to Miami University, shared her experience beginning the process. “There’s lots of calls and coaches, lots of emailing and filling out questionnaires, like putting in your times,” Watschke said. “And just like from the beginning, establishing those relationships with those coaches and those teams.”
Athletes interested in going collegiate should reach out to a large number of schools, however, the schools should still align with their other goals. Senior Alex Haskins, D2 volleyball commit to Kutztown University, contacted a range of schools, keeping her priorities in mind.
“I initially reached out to, I think, 25 different schools,” Haskins said. “The location was a big part of my process, because I really wanted to be close to a city. And also, their math department was very important to me, because that’s what I want to pursue.”
Once athletes have initially contacted schools, they must prove why they’re fit for the team–in which online platforms play a big role. Junior Sam Trosko, D3 field hockey commit to Marywood University, furthered her interactions with coaches by attending clinics and clipping videos of her plays.
Creating videos and social media accounts dedicated to their sport are other ways athletes can connect with colleges virtually.
“There’s recruiting websites that are specifically designed for sports recruits, and where you can also recruit people on,” Haskins said. “So I think that this is a really positive thing that’s happened, where you can just easily post film, and then someone can easily watch you, and you can get yourself out there easier.”
Proving their abilities to colleges isn’t always easy. Senior Isaac Oppermann, D1 track and field/cross country commit to Penn State, wasn’t immediately offered a spot when he began talking to the coach.
“I reached out to the [Penn State] coach… had a meeting with him back in August. He told me I had to run some fast times in order to make it to States…So I talked to him, he was like, ‘Just show me what you can do over the cross country season,’” Oppermann said. “In September, I won their Spiked Shoe invite. And after that, the Penn State coach said, ‘Look, I know I could have a spot for you if you want to come here.'”
Scholarships are another difficult thing for athletes to navigate. While athletes are advised to not mention scholarships in their first meeting with a coach, they’re a major component of college athletics. Division 1 and 2 schools offer athletic scholarships to students, whereas Division 3 schools do not; although athletes can still receive merit scholarships and financial aid.
Haskins took this into consideration with her possible schools ranging from Division 1 to 3.
“You don’t know really at the beginning of the conversation what kind of money you’re going to get from them,” Haskins said. “So you kind of have to balance it; part of the recruiting process is about risk taking. Like, will this school versus the other school provide me the best ‘package’ of things that I need?”
Once an athlete becomes serious about a school, they’ll possibly be invited to tour the campus. There are two versions of athletic visits: official and unofficial. Watschke explained the difference.
“On unofficial [visits] they don’t pay for anything and it’s normally just, like, one day…you maybe meet some team members and coaches,” Watschke said. “On the official [visits], they go way more immersive of an experience. You go for a weekend…you get to stay in the dorms or the apartments…you’ll get to do fun activities with the team and watch practice.”
After narrowing down the options, it’s time to commit. Trosko shared the advice that guided her decision.
“My mom actually has a rule,” Trosko said. “It’s called the broken leg rule. If I committed to IUP, and then I went there, and I actually broke my leg and I couldn’t play again at all, would I still want to go to college there?”
Watchske shared the reasoning behind her commitment. “I’d heard nothing but really great things about [the coaches], the people in the team were so nice and welcoming and I immediately felt like I was comfortable there,” Watschke said. “The campus was beautiful too, had really strong academics, and a strong swim team. It wasn’t hard to picture myself there.”
When athletes know that it’s the school for them, they first make a verbal commitment. A verbal commitment is a spoken agreement between the athlete and the coach that essentially offers a roster spot in exchange for the athlete’s commitment. After entering the fall of their senior year, there are specific dates in which athletes can “sign” to a college, formally entering a binding agreement with the school. It’s called a National Letter of Intent and officially ends the athlete’s recruiting journey.
The process of recruiting is stressful and complicated for any athlete, but Trosko shared how athletes can use it to their advantage. “The thing in your mind in the back of your mind is like, ‘I need to impress colleges so they want me.’ You’re going to feel that stress, but that is a good type of stress,” Trosko said. “It’s going to push you to strive for greatness and push you if you truly want to be in this sport.”
