*The article below is an opinion piece.
While not all high school athletes aspire to play a sport in college, Oak Knoll is known for its prestigious athletic programs that have sent many student-athletes to play their desired sport at the collegiate level. For many students, the recruiting process is a stressful time and causes worry. I am here to take you through a quick guide to what the college recruiting process looks like and what to expect if you are just starting the process. As I am currently a junior in high school, I have been going through the process for over a year now and I have also seen my other friends go through the process. I will be speaking from my experience as a field hockey player.
As I enjoyed playing field hockey in middle school I always wondered if I should play in college. Though it was pretty early to decide, I continued to play field hockey and I developed a strong passion for the sport. In my freshman year, my mom introduced me to the college recruiting process. She played field hockey at the University of Virginia so I was glad to have her to go to if I had any questions. We soon realized that the college recruiting process had changed drastically since her time at UVA so we both had a lot to learn. Freshman year is not a huge year in the process. It is good to start making a list of colleges to look at. When starting the process it is important to consider a few things such as the division you would like to play at and how competitive of a team you would like to be a part of. Even though Division I and Division III are different, many programs are similar as college sports have gotten more competitive and tougher. Your list of schools should consist of a range of schools including safeties and reaches. As your sophomore year rolls around, you want to start thinking more about what schools you are interested in. Research is key. Research the team and get to know what the team culture is like. Sophomore year is a great year to go to recruiting showcases with your club team to show coaches your skills. By emailing coaches your game schedules, even if they don’t come, you are showing them your interest in the school. After showcases, it is good to create highlight videos that showcase the best moments from your game and your versatile skills. Along with recruiting showcases, it is good to start attending recruiting clinics to go to see the school personally and get a feel for the coaching styles. As you start narrowing down your lists and seeing which schools you like, continue to keep your options open. Just remember that although the coaches can’t personally talk to you, they see your continued interest by emailing them and attending their clinics. You may not realize it but they are always noticing continued interest in their program. Each timeline per sport is different but it will soon be time to talk to coaches through email and phone calls. The biggest thing to remember is to stay relaxed. Some coaches can be inconsistent when responding to emails so do not think they aren’t interested in you just because they don’t respond.
The biggest thing I have learned from the recruiting process is to trust the process. It can be extremely difficult at times but you have to continue to have faith in yourself. Another thing to keep in mind is that even if you love a sport, you don’t have to play it in college. College athletics is a big commitment and it’s okay to go to a college and play on a club team. When choosing a college, do not base your decision on just athletics. Consider the school as a whole and if sports don’t work out, go to a college you will ultimately be happy at.