From the Trenches

Alyson's Story

Active Sara — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:56:15 GMT

University of Portland '06 - Women's Tennis
It seemed as if all of the top junior tennis players in Southern California were bound for the premier Division I programs. Growing up playing competitively at both the sectional and national levels, I was on track to play for one of those top programs too. And that's exactly when the injuries kicked in.

In my junior year of high school I managed to tear the cartilage in my left wrist and get stress fractures in the tibia's in both of my legs. I was not able to play for six months and my hopes of playing for a PAC-10 team were gone.

Despite my frustration and discouragement, I had to start looking at some less "glamorous" colleges that I would consider attending. I was getting some letters of interest and did some research of my own. I came to realize that tennis wasn't everything. A good fit academically and socially were also very important to me. Based on scholarship offers, quality of the tennis teams and business schools, I ended up going on recruiting trips to three extremely different colleges in search of the perfect fit.

I went to George Washington University, which had great academics and was a cool city, but the urban campus wasn't for me. Next, was the University of Iowa, which had an awesome tennis team and was party central, but I didn't feel comfortable with the coach. Finally, the University of Portland, which gave me a good vibe and I loved the coach, but it rained a lot and the school was really small. All the schools had their pluses and minuses. How was I going to decide?

I initially wanted to go to George Washington because of its prestigious academics; unfortunately I just could not picture myself going there after the visit. It was not what I was looking for in a college. GW was out!

I had a great time at Iowa! I had friends that were going there, I liked the school spirit, the big football team and wanted to play for their top 25 tennis team. However, if I went there I would probably not play my freshman year, but I didn't care, I welcomed the challenge! After speaking with the girls on the team, none of them seemed to be too fond of the coach, which worried me. I wasn't sure about working hard to improve my game, but not being able to play in matches for a year. On top of that, I wasn't to excited about spending a few hours a day with an overly intense, disliked coach, which made Iowa start looking a little less glamorous. However, I still wanted to go there!

Finally there was Portland. I had never even heard of the school before I was being recruited, so I almost didn't even give it a chance. The coach was a friend of a friend, who came with a good recommendation. They had a pretty decent tennis team, a great business school and the campus looked beautiful. My parents actually pushed for me to check this school out, even though I would not have picked it as one of my top three. Despite being hesitant about playing indoors year round and attending a school with only 3,200 students, I decided to make the trip up there. A couple of the girls on the team picked me up from the airport and I instantly clicked with them. The coach went out of her way to spend time with me and show me around the school and the city. I spent a day attending some classes and really liked the professors, small classes and student interaction. I felt very welcomed by everyone, the coach seemed great, and I felt very engaged in the classes I attended.

I chose to go to the University of Portland and I loved my college experience athletically, academically and socially. Looking back, I am so glad I listened to my parents' advice. They had my best interest in mind in trying to help me find a great fit, rather than choosing the college I wanted to attend based on their women's tennis team ranking.

My Advice:

Listen to your gut feeling - I tried to envision myself in a "day in the life" of a student athlete at each one of the schools.
Academics - Tennis was my passion for the time being, but I wasn't going pro. I needed to find the best academic fit to help me pursue my career ambitions of working in marketing and advertising.
The coach and team - You will be spending most of your time with your coach and team. Your coach will become your mentor and your teammates will become your friends. Choose wisely!

I don't know if there is a right or wrong way to go about selecting a college, but I strongly recommend you taking time to think about why you really want to go to a certain school, is it for the glamor or because it is the most well-rounded fit for YOU?

Good luck and choose wisely!

Alyson

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

Michelle's Story

Active Sara — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:33:15 GMT

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.

Jenn's Story

Active Sara — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:18:08 GMT

Vanderbilt University '07 - Women's Lacrosse
Being what one would consider a competitive individual and having been involved in sports my entire life, I knew when I entered high school, every practice and competition would in some shape or form affect my future. It had always been a dream of mine to be a collegiate athlete, and ever since I was younger, being an avid soccer player, and admiring the success stories of accomplished athletes, I had hoped to play soccer in college. I was very involved with my club organization in Maryland and played for my high school team in D.C which competed in the fall. When the spring season of my freshman year approached, I had to make a decision about what sport to play. The majority of my friends were trying out for lacrosse, and my desire to spend an extra few hours with them after school ultimately influenced me to try out as well despite the fact that it was something entirely new to me.

My fondness for the sport of lacrosse grew following my freshman year, as did my commitment. As my level of seriousness increased, my drive for soccer lessened. I chose to focus my attention on lacrosse, and therefore joined a club team whose main purpose was to get their players recruited to play in college. This team opened my eyes to the world of lacrosse, and made me increasingly excited about the opportunities I was about to experience.

The college recruiting process is a difficult one, and something that is easy to get wrapped up in. As a junior in high school I received a lot of attention from college programs, and at first found myself completely overwhelmed. I knew I had to set some standards as to what was important to me in a university. First and foremost, I wanted to go to a school where I could develop not only athletically, but academically. The social scene was an important factor as well, as was location. I knew I wanted to go south, and take advantage of the warm weather and southern hospitality that that particular culture possesses.

After narrowing down my options based on the above classifications, I ended up accepting 5 official visits. I traveled to Georgetown University, University of Richmond, University of Virginia, James Madison University and Vanderbilt University my junior year of high school. Each of the first four schools I visited had specific qualities that I could relate to and that I really admired. I found myself in an unfamiliar state of mind - one of utter confusion. I knew I would be happy at any of the schools I visited, and did not know how to differentiate between them. At first I was apprehensive about adding another school to the mix, however figured I should finish the process out and take my last official visit to Vanderbilt. The minute I stepped on the campus in Nashville, Tennessee everything felt right. I not only loved the team and the coaching staff, but I felt that Vanderbilt was a school where I would enjoy myself outside of lacrosse. I was right and I really enjoyed my experience at Vanderbilt.

My Advice:

You never know what can happen from an athletic stand point - injuries ail individuals and programs deteriorate. You have to make sure the school itself is a right fit for your personality, rather than completely base your decision on whether or not you like the team and coaches.

Good luck everyone!

Jenn

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