SCH Students Feel Range of Emotions After Committing to College Sports
As most seniors move toward the college process and stress levels around applications continue to rise, some Blue Devils can breathe a sigh of relief that they are already committed to playing their sport in college.
A college coach has the ability to offer a high school student athlete admission to their college, either a scholarship, and/or a spot on the team. The athlete has the opportunity to accept that offer and commit to that college earlier than the admissions process would typically open up.
Senior Haley Hamsher, who is committed to Flagler for lacrosse, expressed a sense of relief. “I am very relieved because I don’t have to go through the traditional college application process,” Hamsher said. However, she noted while the stress of applying to college is behind her, the recruitment process was anything but easy: “I was extremely stressed throughout the whole process for a variety of reasons,” she added.
For some athletes the recruitment process can reach its peak just before senior year. Senior Griffy Whitman, who committed to Swarthmore College for lacrosse, said, “the summer before senior year was the most stressful” for him. “It’s super hard balancing a lot of emails, being perfect in the classroom and on the field,” Whitman added.
Although the college process is out of the picture for senior Jake Warren, who is committed to Washington College for baseball, school is not. “I feel like I have to put more effort into school now because I have more to lose,” Warren says.
Senior Colleen Conlan, who is committed to University Of Massachusetts Amherst for field hockey committed prior to Junior year, which she says was, “scary but one of the best decisions.” Conlan added, “Committing didn’t mean I automatically got into the school, so I had to continue to work on academics and perform well in my sport”
Senior Maillie Colin, who is committed to Stevens Institute Of Technology for lacrosse, said that “the pressure is gone … I am not only relieved but grateful.”
While some athletes are committed before senior year, some are not. Stefon Dodoo, the number 1 ranked 800M runner in Pennsylvania recently released his top seven offers which include: University of Miami, University of Tennessee, University of Florida, Texas A&M University, Arizona State University, University of Oklahoma, and The University of Georgia. Dodoo said, “it’s hard to focus on both being the best student in school while going through this difficult recruitment process.” He added, “One of the things I am trying to figure out is, if not only the school is the right fit for me but if the coaching staff is too.”
Dodoo recently went on an official visit to Texas A&M University. He commented on the experience, “It feels like the hard work is starting to pay off but there is more hard work to put in.” We will have to wait and see where Stefon decides to take his talents.
The path to college may look different for some student-athletes, but their journey is still filled with unique pressures and challenges.
