The Journey of a College Commit

Cover image by Caitlin Smith

Mentally draining, too early, lucky, and stressful are all used to describe the experience of an athlete going through the recruitment process. The decision to start the recruitment process approaches before junior year and before the average student seriously considers their future plans.

The recruitment process starts with sending emails to coaches and reaching out to schools. Students send many college coaches emails and video highlights in order to show interest in their desired school. As they send these emails, student-athletes are often forced to think about life after high school much earlier than other students do. The vast majority of student-athletes begin this process as underclassmen. “It was hard to start sophomore year, but I also knew what it was that I wanted to do, and I knew it would pay off in the long run,” an anonymous student said. 

M-A currently has six committed athletes and many other students going through the recruiting process. Only about 7% of high school student athletes go on to play in college. 

College coaches cannot respond or contact students until June 15 of their junior year. The wait until June is notorious for being one of the most nerve-racking parts in the athletes’ recruitment process. Still, for those who succeed, opening up their phone to see emails and calls from interested coaches makes it all worth it. “Waking up that day is like Christmas morning,” said senior Lexi Nelson, who is committed to play Division I water polo at UC Berkeley. 

The next step is getting the feel of the schools and the coaches. Athletes talk to interested coaches, allowing them to get to know each other and the program. The in-person visits are one of the most important parts of a student’s decision to commit to school. Senior Devin Hyde, who is committed to play football at the University of Washington, made his decision based on the atmosphere he felt throughout his visit. “Everyone there has full faith in the program,” Hyde said. 

Then comes the most anxious part: the coach coming to watch the athlete play. The impression students have on coaches is the most crucial step to see if they have the ability to compete at a college level. “I kept telling myself, at the end of the day, no matter how bad I was playing, all I can do is my best,” Nelson said. However, more than just their game, the coaches look at the athletes’ character, both in the game and on the bench. Despite the stress, to senior Trevor Cadigan, seeing a scout in the audience is “a confidence booster.”  “You know you’re college worthy—since the coaches could want you,” he said. Cadigan is currently looking to get recruited to play college basketball. 

The last step of the process is commitment is making an athlete’s dream come true. When the offers start rolling in, students are forced to make a decision that can make or break their future. While tough, the feeling of signing that commitment paper makes it all worth it. 

The next four years are creeping up for the commits who are ready and excited to play the sport they love on national TV and hear the crowd’s cheers. The process is extensive, but if they do it right, it ends with a signature and success.