University of Richmond '04 - Men's Soccer
For nearly as long as I can remember I have been participating in sports. I grew up playing baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, tennis and hockey in various leagues in the St. Louis area and continued doing so after moving to Virginia. In middle school I no longer had time to keep up with all of them and focused on soccer and baseball, my stronger two sports. In high school, playing on the Virginia Olympic Development Team, club team, high school team and traveling for all of them became too much, thus baseball fell by the wayside.

I traveled around the United States and even Europe a few times for various soccer tournaments and showcases so adjusted quickly to seeing the sidelines not only covered with parents, but with numerous recruiters as well. While it was certainly nerve-racking and intimidating at first, it soon gave me extra motivation to perform my best every time I stepped on the pitch. Soon after that I started receiving letters from various D-1, D-2 and D-3 schools up and down the east coast. At first I just collected the letters since I hadn't yet started thinking about college.

When I started looking into schools, I considered colleges completely independent of soccer since I knew that I didn't want to attend a school solely based on that. I listed out my prospects and those that I had also heard from for soccer were then moved to the top of my list. I did not immediately dismiss schools that didn't fit both criteria, but eventually narrowed it down to three which did: University of Richmond, University of Kentucky and University of Notre Dame. That's when the real work started.

I went on visits to each school, touring the campus, meeting with coaches, experiencing the lifestyle, and talking with current students and players. After those visits, I was slightly leaning toward University of Kentucky and University of Richmond, but I still couldn't decide. I then turned to my parents for advice, and although they didn't push me toward one, I soon realized my choice. After all the money, time and travel they had put into my 15 years of soccer, I wanted to give them a chance to see it had paid off. They were my biggest fans and never wanted to miss a game. That was the slight edge that put University of Richmond over the top.

My Advice:

• Don't limit your choices to colleges only for your sport.
• Consider anything and everything since little things may ultimately help you decide.
• Be honest and open with players you stay with and meet. They will often give you honest advice since they have gone through the same process.
• Talk with the coaches about academics. You'll get an idea of how they feel about classes and how much they will support you academically.
• Consider how you fit in with and like the players and coaches. You will spend an enormous amount of time with them.

Cheers,
DJ

For more information check out the Active Recruiting 101 special section.

Rowan University '02 - Women's Basketball
I grew up in a basketball family. My dad played at Boston College and I remember being very young and watching him play in the local men's leagues. He would always let me come out on the court and shoot and dribble around. I knew from the moment I made my first basket that I loved the sport. I think growing up and seeing the love my dad had for the sport and hearing his stories of growing up playing basketball made me want to do the same.

As I progressed through school and dedicated more and more time to basketball I realized that I would be able to follow in my dad's footsteps and play in college. The recruiting process for me was very interesting because I am an identical twin and grew up playing with my sister. When we both decided we wanted to play basketball in college we made a pact to play together. We would become a package deal to the collegiate basketball coaches. I think this decision, for the most part, played to our advantage. We were very similarly skilled and coaches loved the fact they could make one recruiting trip to watch two players.

My sister and I spent the last few years of high school playing our hearts out, getting our name out there to as many schools as we could, researching schools in various locations, sending game tapes and resumes, having numerous conversations nightly with coaches and scheduling campus visits. We also made many road trips all over the east coast.

Now at the age of 18 I was supposed to narrow down a huge list of schools and I had no idea how to do so when all I knew was that I wanted to play basketball in college. On top of that, after I spoke with each coach I thought I wanted to go to "that" school. At one point it became very overwhelming. I remember one night at dinner being close to tears. I just had no idea what to do and coaches were starting to give my sister and me deadlines for a yes or no answer. I thought, "I am not going to be able to make up my mind and then I am going to end up playing no where." My dad, having gone through the same thing when he was 18 and being recruited, asked a few simple questions that helped with our decision:

• What team do you see yourself practicing with every day for four years?
• What coach do you see yourself playing for?
• Can you imagine yourself at one of those schools without basketball because things can change and basketball can not be the one and only thing luring you to that school?

From these questions my sister and I narrowed it down to Rowan University. Rowan was close to home (so my parents could come to all the games), with great academics and a huge on-campus sports community. It was a great choice and I got a great education, made some amazing friends and got to play the sport I loved with my sister.

Trust me there is a school out there for you so don't be discouraged. And you will make the right choice!

Michelle

For more information check out the Active Recruiting 101 special section.

University of Maryland '98 - Women's Lacrosse
From a very young age I knew I loved sports and had the killer instinct. I got involved in playing AAU club basketball at a very young age and traveled and played basketball all year round. When I was in about second grade I decided to pick up soccer as well, within a few years I was playing soccer all year round on club teams. Then in third grade this new sport was presented to me called lacrosse. I really wasn't that interested in it but all my friends from the neighborhood were going to try it so I figured why not.

Lacrosse was the only sport out of the three sports that was only in the spring. I didn't have to play it all year round to be considered dedicated to it so it definitely took a back seat to my other sports. I remember in sixth grade missing lacrosse practice in lacrosse season to go to basketball and soccer practice which were out of season. I also remember going to lacrosse, leaving early to go to soccer and then heading to basketball practice. I was getting warn out to say the least.

By the time I reached high school I had developed a love for lacrosse. Lacrosse is an athletic sport; if you are a great athlete you can be successful. I was able to incorporate all the things I had learned over the years from playing such ridiculous amounts of basketball and soccer into lacrosse.

When I reached freshman year in high school I did play basketball, soccer, and lacrosse. As a freshman I was on junior varsity for basketball and soccer, but shockingly made the varsity lacrosse team at St.Mary's in Annapolis! Believe me this was a big deal, it was almost unheard of to make varsity as a freshman. You were lucky to make junior varsity as a freshman. It was then I realized that lacrosse was my sport. I wasn't burned out on it like the other sports that I had played for years all year round. More exciting then just making the lacrosse team, I started as a freshman and continued to start for four more years. By my sophomore year I quit basketball, continued to play soccer for one more year on the varsity team and my junior year quit soccer too. I picked up volleyball for fun and just continued with my lacrosse career. I had no idea the opportunities that were in store for me, when back in third grade, but I sure am happy I decided to give lacrosse a shot.

The recruiting process was exciting. I received tons of letters from schools all over the country. I had no idea that all these schools were interested in me or even knew about me. It did start to become a little overwhelming sifting through all the mail and all the weekly phone calls. In the summer before my senior year I decided to take some road trips and set up some unofficial visits to colleges and meet with coaches so I could downsize my huge list of choices. That was very helpful to me because there were quite a few schools that once I saw the campus or met the coach I knew I didn't want to attend. It wasn't easy but I came to my conclusion about the five schools I was going to visit. I went to the University of Maryland, the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, Loyola College, and Vanderbilt University.

In the fall of my senior year I went on paid official visits to my top five schools and spent a weekend with the team in order to get to know them and meet with the coach. It was amazing! I had so much fun on all of these visits and it was great to spend time with the players and coaches. I had such a hard time making my decision though.

In retrospect, I always knew I was going to be a Terp! I loved the University of Maryland, there style of play and the team. I didn't come by this decision easily though and really agonized over the whole thing. This is such an exciting time in your life but it's also a very tough time in your life. You'll figure it out so be patient and open.

My Advice:

• If you decided you didn't want to play anymore would you still want to be at this school?
• Look at teams and the way they practice along with their style of play. Think about whether or not you like their style or if you could adapt to it. A lot of people don't think about this, but a sport takes up a lot of your time and will be a big part of your college life so you want to enjoy it. You want to have fun with it! I know I did.

Once a Terp always a Terp!

Kate Robinson

For more information check out the Active Recruiting 101 special section.

University of Michigan '06 - Softball
My whole life I knew I wanted to go to Notre Dame. I researched other schools but it was only to please my mom; I knew Notre Dame was the place for me. I started my recruiting process by throwing my eggs all into one basket...big mistake! One thing I didn't realize that I know now, recruiting is based on having what the team needs. If you're a pitcher and the school already has 3 stud pitchers, start looking at others squads that need pitching in the next few years. In my case, Notre Dame didn't need a catcher so I wasn't a high priority. It didn't work out there.

Pay attention to your gut when you're on visits. I visited Hillsdale College in Southeastern Michigan. It is a small D-2 school with extremely nice facilities. The date was September 11, 2001. I watched the second plane collide into the towers from a computer lab, surrounded by college students, none of whom I knew. Bless their hearts, they tried to make the visit continue, doing their best to sell the school, but there was nothing they could do, I couldn't attend there because it was such a traumatic day.

My next visit was destiny. After my quest for Notre Dame crumbled in the summer before my senior year I sent out letters to any school I had time to research. On all my letters I had copied the school's emblem and put it right in the middle on top, making it look like official business. The coaches loved it! The school I fell in love with was Loyola University Chicago. I was looking for a program that would help me improve but where I could also have an impact in my first year and beyond. I truly loved my future teammates and that is crucial; you'll be spending an enormous amount of time with them. The coach was genuine and even though she did tell me she was recruiting another catcher to make me hurry my decision process, I later found out there was no other girl. The school had the program I wanted and the location as well. All in all, there were many ways in which I clicked with this program.

If I had rested my decision only on the head coach, I would have been lost when I found out that the coach took an assistant coaching position at Michigan State University weeks before I was to begin my freshman year. I eventually did transfer to the University of Michigan because too many things started changing at Loyola. I no longer fit there and I needed a place to belong. It's a scary leap, transferring, but it isn't the end of the world. I helped win a National Championship and was an All-American my senior year.

My Advice:

• Do your research
• Listen to your gut
• Have faith that everything will work out in the end

Becky

For more information check out the Active Recruiting 101 special section.

University of Richmond '07 - Women's Tennis
School first, sports second. Those have always been my priorities; however, I fully recognized that my sport, tennis, could provide me with a full scholarship to a good college. So I looked at schools that had excellent academics and relatively strong tennis programs. I wanted to compete at a high level so Division 1 was really my only option. Then I had to decide whether I wanted to start at the top from the get-go or work my way up over the four years. Again, I wanted the highest level of competition and so I choose a smaller tennis program that competed with the Big Guns.

The University of Richmond presented a complete package to me. The tennis coach was one of the friendliest coaches I had met prior to my senior year of high school. When it came down to final decisions, it was actually between Penn State University and the University of Richmond; two schools on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. Penn State University - huge, north bound, and with a national reputation - had one thing in common with the smaller, academically demanding school in Richmond, VA: an awesome coach. It was difficult to decline the Nittany Lion's offer but I simply wanted smaller classes and a more personable relationship with my professors. So I became a Richmond Spider and fully enjoyed my four years there.

Of course on my recruiting trips I looked at the library, where I did indeed spend most of my days for my pre-med classes, and the weight room, to see where I would get the "biggest" my 5'5 frame would allow. I met counselors and academic advisors, spoke to many students to gauge the overall campus feel, but the most influential people were my future teammates. Be fully aware that you will spend the majority of your days with your fellow teammates. Richmond's team liked each other, unlike other squads, and they really seemed to unite like a family. I wanted to be part of this team.

My Advice:

• Create a list of what you want in a school. Try to decide on one major or area of study that you're interested in and talk to the department. You really want to obtain as much information as possible so first determine what you want and then see how well the school matches your interests.
• Do you have other interests or desires to participate in other extracurricular activities? If so, see how well the team time is managed and how feasible your future schedule will be. A recruiting trip/overnight stay is the best way to experience life on campus so I strongly encourage doing this.
• Study your coach's interactions. What is your initial vibe? Obviously they are trying to sell the school to you but talk to the team and assess their happiness with how the coach runs things. Do they push their players too hard? Too easy? Do they understand when life issues get in the way of your athletic performance? Do they simply view you as an athlete under their ownership or do they respect you and see you as a real person?
• If you're stuck between two schools, make your final decision as if you weren't an athlete. What if you get injured and you cannot compete? You want to be somewhere you can enjoy yourself if this huge part of your life went missing.

Beautrice

For more information check out the Active Recruiting 101 special section.

University of Richmond '05 - Men's Basketball
It wasn't until my sophomore year of high school when I realized I was capable of playing basketball at the Division 1 level. I remember distinctly creating three new goals for my basketball career that year. The first of which was to play basketball at the Division 1 level. Second, I wanted to become a member of the Canadian National Basketball Team. Third, was to continue on after college to play professional basketball. Once I established these three major goals, I needed to make sure I attended the college that would put me in the best possible position to accomplish all three of my goals.

I was fortunate enough to display some of my talents at a few well-known showcase tournaments and I began to be contacted by Division 1 schools. Some programs just sent letters; others phone calls, and some both letters and phone calls. After researching all the schools that had contacted me, which included location, history, academic background, coaching history, athletic department's history and so on, I was able to narrow it down to the four schools for official visits. At the time I thought that I would be visiting the University of Montana, University of Richmond, Boston College, and Notre Dame.

I had been in close contact with all four of these schools and their basketball programs for a number of months before taking my first visit, which was to University of Montana. I took this visit with my entire family because I wanted them to all share this first experience with me. We had a great visit and I loved the school and the surrounding atmosphere. University of Montana was a school that I was familiar with because I had attended a few of their summer basketball camps so I was comfortable with the coaching staff and players. Attending University of Montana would also allow me to stay close to home and the ability to drive home on occasion was appealing to me.

My next visit was to the University of Richmond. The second that I stepped onto the campus I had an extraordinary feeling of comfort and security. I loved the campus and the arena where the basketball team played. After having the opportunity to meet the coaching staff and my potential future teammates, I knew Richmond was the school for me. There was a sense of family and unity within the program, which was important to me, especially since I was going to be so far away from home. I met with the academic adviser on my visit and figured out what field of studies might be of interest to me if I decided to attend the school.

I had a great visit to University of Richmond and after returning home; and speaking with my family along with a lot of prayer I knew that I wasn't going to take up the offers on my other two visits. University of Richmond was the school for me. I thanked University of Montana, Boston College and Notre Dame University for their strong interest and continued forward with my vision of attending University of Richmond. I weighed all of the positives and the negatives and realized that University of Richmond would be the best place to help me achieve all of my goals with basketball and at the same time I would be receiving a top-notch education.
After my visit I committed to the University of Richmond. I continued to build a relationship with not only the coach, but also the players. I kept in consistent contact with two players over the remaining months of my senior year of high school and the summer leading into my freshman year of college. The following fall, upon arriving to the University of Richmond I was only a freshman but because of my previous communication I felt like I had been a member of the team and program for much longer.

I feel extremely blessed to have been given the opportunity to attend the University of Richmond and to be a Division 1 athlete. I was able to achieve all three of my goals by playing basketball at the University of Richmond. I was also able to receive a great education and meet some outstanding life long friends.

My Advice:

• Seek advice from your family and those close to you who have gone through the decision making process before you
• Make a choice that will make you happy! You can always transfer but it is a difficult process. Don't make a decision on your school because you are trying to please someone else. You have to live with it for the next 4-5 years
• If you are serious and passionate about your sport, then go to a school that is going to allow you to play and become a better athlete
• Make sure that the school you go to allows you to have a life outside of your sport
• Make sure that you get along with your teammates! You will be spending more time with these people then you have ever spent with anyone in your life other than maybe your immediate family. You want to be able to enjoy your time around these people and build strong, firm relationships.

Jermaine

For more information check out the Active Recruiting 101 special section.