As seniors approach graduation and their next steps in life, many are going to college not just for the academics but also to play the sport that they have committed a lot of time and effort into throughout high school. Such student-athletes are often recruited to attend specific schools due in part to their athletic ability, and that process can start as early as the first day of junior year. 

   “Fall of my junior year I went to a bunch of tournaments and some showcases and began emailing with coaches,” senior Williams lacrosse recruit Joseph Ladocsi said. “I kept in touch throughout the school year and then continued to give them updates during my high school lacrosse season in the spring.”

   While many recruited athletes begin the recruiting process early on, some connect with their ideal school and athletic program later in the recruiting window. 

   “I didn’t start talking to Providence [College] until early spring of my junior year,” senior volleyball recruit Fielding Mayhugh said. “I had many options but did not think I would like Providence until I toured the school.” 

   The recruiting process for many athletes can be stressful, and this stress can be amplified by needing to perform in front of the college coach.

   “It was definitely nerve racking at times because during club lacrosse and the beginning of the summer after junior year, I had to attend a lot of tournaments and showcases,” Ladocsi said. “I was definitely burnt out by the end of it; however, I came to realize that stress is not helpful and that I was in this to give myself a better opportunity for the future.”

   Other recruited athletes, beyond performing in front of a college coach, also had to submit the results of their individual performances.

   “I had to frequently submit race results to coaches and perform well on individual erg tests in order to show the coaches that I was meeting standards and reaching times,” senior Tufts crew commit Thomas Lee said. “Erg tests are usually stressful, but this just added a boatload of nerves.”

   Beyond the pressure of the recruitment process itself, the combination of college applications and waiting for results tends to add to the stress as well.

   “The recruiting process in general was very tense and anxious for me as it felt like it would go on forever,” Mayhugh said. “In the end, I just wanted to end up somewhere that I thought I’d be happy at.”

   Students who are recruited by multiple schools also face the challenge of deciding which school is the right fit. 

   “I had to choose between a couple of different schools, and it was definitely a difficult decision,” Lee said. “Besides my commitment to rowing, looking at how good each school was academically that gave me an offer swayed my decision.” 

   For some athletes, being recruited is as much a part of their overall resume to help them get into their preferred school as it is an end in itself. 

   “My whole goal was to get into the best school possible whether it be for academics or lacrosse,” Ladocsi said. “I focused on the high academic schools and used lacrosse to give me the opportunity to go someplace I wouldn’t have been able to reach just on my academics alone.”

   Playing collegiate sports is not only a goal for those who are recruited; some athletes still look to continue to play their sport at their chosen college or university without a formal recruitment offer.

   “I have played soccer for as long as I can remember and put a lot of time into it, so if I ended up at a division three program, I would likely try to walk on to the soccer team,” senior Anika Groff said. “I would love to continue to play the game I love competitively. At a bigger D1 program where I wouldn’t necessarily be able to walk on, I would definitely play club soccer.”

   Seniors who have gone through recruitment offer advice for future student athletes who look to be recruited themselves or continue their sport in the future.

   “When talking to coaches, just be yourself and don’t overthink talking to them,” Mayhugh said. “They are not as scary as they seem and just want to get to know you as a person. When watching you play, most are just looking to see how you are as a teammate and for the little things such as your attitude.”