A little bit over seven percent of high school athletes get recruited to play in college, a process both exhilarating and high stress. 

We decided to take a look into that percentage and really dive deep into what it’s like to go through the process of being recruited to college for athletics. 

From a coaches perspective, they have a specific process that they complete every year when recruiting athletes.

Their first step is to gather a list of prospective athletes who meet the basic requirements; considering their height, weight, position, grad year, academics, location, and more. 

To identify these, coaches use tools such as recruiting media sites, recommendations from high school or club coaches, emails and messages from recruits, and camps and showcases that recruits attend. 

College coaches have specific rules and guidelines to follow when considering prospective athletes.

For example, D1 recruiters are not allowed to officially contact athletes until September 1 of their junior year. 

However, to show their interest before then, coaches typically send non recruiting material such as questionnaires and camp brochures. 

Specific rules can vary between different sports and division levels, decided by NCAA. 

Senior Aidan Himes, a multi-sport athlete, will be attending the University of Delaware in fall 2025 to play division 1 lacrosse. 

Himes has been a part of the varsity lacrosse team since his freshman year, but he decided that it was something he wanted to pursue in college when he got to a higher level and realized how far he could truly go.

Additionally, his enjoyment and passion for the sport makes him a natural leader and encouraging teammate on the field. 

When discussing the timeline of events, Himes explained that it was the summer of his sophomore year that he began putting the pieces together, until coaches could officially reach out on Sep. 1. 

Himes claims that his coaches played a huge role in the process, quoting “they prepared me for what was to come; they taught me how to communicate with college coaches and figure out what it really was that I wanted.” 

Having chosen University of Delaware in the end, Himes weighed the pros and cons of different schools he was offered; considering the proximity to home, size of the school, relationship with the coaches, athletic facilities, and the alumni support. 

The advice Himes would give to someone just starting the recruiting process would be to “keep your options open. Don’t burn any bridges because your perspective may change and you want to have as many opportunities as possible.” 

Another committed senior, Cora Betten, will be attending Vanderbilt University in fall 2025. 

Betten had a slightly different recruitment journey, for her, the recruitment process began when she was injured and was out for a whole year. 

She didn’t let this stop her though, because as college coaches began coming to games, Betten was on her comeback, playing as hard as she could despite the time that she missed.

To get noticed by coaches, Betten was proactive in creating a highlight reel, attending camps, emailing coaches, and being a part of a high-level club team that coaches often attended games.

Betten had a dream of going to school in the city, so when she first visited Vanderbilt, she was extremely impressed. However, her main concern for selecting a college was a high academic school. Vanderbilt obtaining both of these made it a perfect fit for her, and it’s everything she’s wanted.

Betten claims she couldn’t have done it without her family, having supported her through club lacrosse for six years, taken her to all the camps, and provided both financial and emotional support.

Lacrosse isn’t the only thing students commit to at Urbana though, senior Ana Kenst is committed to York College of Pennsylvania for field hockey.

During her process, work ethic and drive were evident as she attended many showcases and camps that she knew coaches would be attending.

Kensts’ experience communicating with college coaches was extremely positive, although she admits it was intimidating at first due to the pressure of making a good first impression. Communication started off through emails, phone calls, and zooms, which eventually progressed to in person meetings if the coach was seriously interested. 

However, Kenst didn’t let this pressure get to her, reminding herself that things would work themselves out in the end. Her mentality was “If it’s meant to be then it will work, and if it doesn’t… that’s okay too.” 

When asked what she would change if she could do it all again, Kenst says she wouldn’t change a thing. She emphasizes the importance of keeping an open mind in order to find the place that’s truly the best fit for you.

Kenst is most thankful for her parents during this crazy journey. In addition to driving her everywhere she needed to be, she claims, “They were supportive, but at the same time kept it real with me, which I didn’t appreciate during the process but looking back I am so grateful for.” 

Getting recruited to college for athletics can be a long and difficult journey, but these hard workers claim that “it’s so worth it in the end to be able to take what you love to do to the next level.”