Within the coming years, athletes from Schreiber could litter the highlights of sports television and bring national championships to universities across the country.
On Nov. 19, seniors Brenna Betsch, John Crawley, and Maggie Nelson signed their official “National Letter of Intent” documents. The letter, a legally binding document, signifies that the students commit to their respective schools to play at the Division I level for scholastic sports.
The recruiting process is years in the making for most, months for some, and and just weeks for a few.
While the format differs depending on the school, most coaches will attend games played by teams not affiliated with the school, as the seasons for college and high school conflict. Additionally, the talent the coaches are usually searching for will be found at the higher level—“extra mile,” extracurricular teams.
Recruitment processes follow similar trends. First, a meeting or phone call with the coach or an admissions representative will take place, followed by an official, on-campus visit. Soon after, there is a review of the athlete in his or her sport during a competition, either by the coach or another scout. Finally, the school issues a scholarship offer and the student athlete makes a verbal commitment.
Betsch will play lacrosse for Sacred Heart University, Crawley will play lacrosse for Johns Hopkins University, and Nelson will row for Clemson University.
“I’m so proud of them for what they accomplished, and to be part of signing a letter of intent—we all know how much work goes into this. To be able to give them their recognition on this day is just—I’m thrilled to do it,” said Director of Health, Physical Education, and Athletics Ms. Stephanie Joannon.
Betsch also plays soccer, and excelled in both soccer and lacrosse throughout high school. She pursued lacrosse outside of school, playing for Liberty Lacrosse to further her skills.
“I knew I wanted to play a sport in college,” said Betsch. “I came back to lacrosse when I realized I could go to the next level, and I fell in love with it again.”
Crawley committed to Johns Hopkins in the summer of 2011.
“Having the two years to kind of know what it feels like to be going to a school, it got me accustomed to the feeling. Signing the letter, it’s just another step now. It’s a reassuring thing, and puts me one step closer to going,” said Crawley.
Johns Hopkins is consistently ranked among the top collegiate lacrosse teams in the country, winning the most national championships out of any school (44). Crawley played outside of school with ‘For the Love of the Game,’ increasing his skills and his recruiting options.
“It’s an awesome feeling. When you’re being recruited, you look for the best school or the best fit, but when it turns out to be somewhere like Johns Hopkins—if you love the game that much that’s the place to go. I guess I’m just blessed to be able to go there. Now I just need to get ready for next fall,” said Crawley.
For Nelson, becoming a Clemson Tiger is a dream come true. She has a few connections to the school and South Carolina; her cousin rowed crew for Clemson and her family will be moving to the state in the fall.
“I fell in love with crew when I went to my cousin’s regatta when I was 8 years old—she rowed at Clemson also,” said Nelson. “It’ll be great having my family close by—I’ll be able to see my parents and my sister more than I normally would.”
All three will need to uphold certain academic requirements, ranging from a GPA cutoff to fulfilling a certain number of study hours, or risk becoming academically ineligible to compete in NCAA events.
The three athletes will not be the only seniors to compete at the collegiate level. Bryce Keller has committed to play baseball for Princeton University, Nick Duarte has committed to play baseball for Siena College, and Jesse Kaplan to play lacrosse for Tampa University. More student athletes are still weighing their decisions from Schreiber.
“It’s really cool,” said Ms. Joannon.