Many students in Schreiber have already made a huge commitment: playing a sport in college.  Seniors Ashlynn Gallagher, Caroline McCarthy, Rebecca Rosen, and Jack Stolper, as well as sophomore Alexander Stapleton, have already committed to playing a sport in college.  Rosen committed to Brown University earlier this year for soccer, while McCarthy committed to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill the summer before her junior year for lacrosse.  Gallagher is committed to play softball at Fairfield University, Stolper is committed to Middlebury College for baseball, and Stapleton will be going to Boston College to play lacrosse. For many dedicated athletes, committing to a college for sports is a real possibility.

“I kind of always grew up thinking I was going to play a sport in college,” said Gallagher. “I just knew I wanted to play until I didn’t have a chance to play anymore,” said Gallagher.

In order to get recruited by a college, an athlete must go through an arduous process.  First off, it is important to participate in as many tournaments and athletic programs as possible, preferably all around the country.  This is a great opportunity to get noticed, as coaches’ input play a huge role in a college’s decision.

“When the coach notices an athlete, they possess the power, but once one coach offers you a spot, you possess the power,” said Stolper. “It completely changes the process because you can choose to go to that school, or you can keep looking for another.”

It is also helpful to email the coaches of different colleges so they know that you’re interested in their athletic program. You can also send an email to let them know that you will be attending a camp or a tournament which they will be at.

“It was definitely stressful sending out emails and trying to get discovered, but also exciting when colleges did notice you” said McCarthy.

One major downside of playing a high-level sport in high school in the hopes of playing in college is balancing your athletic and academic life.  After going to practices and tournaments, it is very hard to also keep up with homework and studying.

“Balancing school and baseball has always been the biggest challenge for me. I always tried to work out and do athletic things first and worked towards home and school work at night,” said Stolper.

Because these students need to maintain their grades while working on their athletic performance, they need to remain extremely focused, especially as they have to start looking for colleges earlier than their classmates do.

“The commitment process definitely required me to think about college a lot earlier,” said McCarthy.

Trying to find the right school as a senior is difficult enough, let alone as a sophomore or junior. Because they can only apply to one college, these athletes do miss out on the traditional college application experience.

“I did kind of miss out on the ‘normal’ anticipation of being accepted to colleges, which although stressful, seems extra rewarding,” said McCarthy.

In many cases, however, the disadvantages of committing early for sports are outweighed by the overwhelming sense of relief athletes face once they’ve been accepted. Because they’re only applying to one school, they need not worry about answering additional questions or writing the dreaded supplemental essays.

“My biggest benefit was avoiding applying to several schools with multiple essays. It was easy to only apply to one school and have that weight off your shoulders,” said Stolper.

What’s the key for success in this stressful process? According to this year’s newly committed athletes, motivation is crucial.

“It just takes confidence and motivation on my part to do what I have to do,” said McCarthy.

Although many athletes are successfully recruited at their top schools, some students are not offered a place. No matter what, don’t let rejection get you down. If your top choice doesn’t offer you a spot, then work even harder to get into the next school. Remember that you’re going through this grueling process so that you can show your talent to college and pursue a sport that you love. These athletes have devoted so much time and effort to their sports, and hopefully it will be worth it in college.

“I had worked really hard to get where I am, but I never dreamed that I would commit early,”  said Gallagher.