Some athletes at Blake are at ease now because many have committed to colleges for their sports and they feel relieved and excited. Lucio Bollettieri ‘22 who is verbally committed to Colorado College in Colorado Springs for swimming, says, “It’s a huge weight off of my shoulders” and Max Hubler ‘22 who is committed to lacrosse at Holy Cross in Massachusetts agrees. He says, “I’m excited to get into a new community and new people.” Ellie Morrison ‘23 who has verbally committed to Dartmouth University in Vermont also agrees and says, “It’s a stress reliever.” Bella Suk ‘22 is committed to a Divison 3 school for tennis and says, “it’s definitely a big relief”
These athletes have invested a lot of time into their sports and now it is all paying off. Suk says, “I’ve been playing tennis my entire life” and Hubler also says, “since I started lacrosse it was always my goal.” Sports are a big part of their lives and now they are going to bring it with them to the next chapter in their life. With committing there comes a process that can be long but worth it in the end. The process isn’t the same for everyone.
Suk explained her process as, “For division 3 you have to get in on your own.” Suk went on to say, “I reached out to a few coaches at schools I was interested in both academically and athletically.” Suk spoke positively about her experience with meeting coaches and says, “It’s really fun to get to know a lot of coaches and get to meet a lot of college players.”
The process varies depending on the athlete and what they’re interested in, Hubler explained his process as, “It changed halfway through my lacrosse career. It used to be that they could talk to you whenever. Then, they added the Sept. 1st of your junior year rule.” The rule for Division 1 men’s lacrosse recruiting, is that college coaches aren’t allowed to have any contact with athletes until Sept.1 of the athlete’s junior year. This rule changes depending on the sport and division.
Hubler continued, “That day came and I had a bunch of calls lined up … None of [the schools] were schools that I liked or that I thought were fit for me. I decided to wait and see what other schools I could get interest from.” Hubler later says, “A lot of [athletes] commit by the end of September, but for me it took almost a full year.” The process can take longer than you think and Hubler would agree that the waiting game is also beneficial to find the right fit.
Bollettieri describes another aspect of the process which is the pre-read which he says, “you send the coach [and admissions] a raw form of your transcript which is basically everything that will be on your application minus an essay and a few other things [and they] either give you a thumbs up like you’re gonna get in on early decision, kinda in the middle like maybe but we can’t guarantee or thumbs down it doesn’t seem like you’ll be a good fit.” The pre-read is a good way to indicate whether you have a chance at the school or not. Bollettieri also talked about the process as being very straightforward. He says, “The process makes it pretty clear what your odds are.”
These athletes don’t just focus on the sport itself. They focus on what the sport gave them through the years and what they will continue to get in the future. Morrison says, “I love the sport [hockey] but I also love the people in the sport.” Community is very important in these sports. Bolleretti agrees and says, “There’s a level of friendship and comradery that you get through having a sport that you stick with that’s hard to find other places.” In your sports you find people who have the same goals that you have and you build a connection with them.
The athletes shared what their advice is for future athletes thinking about going through this process in the future. Suk says, “Let it play out, it’s really stressful at first and you’re kinda nervous but It will work out in the end.” Hubler says, “Don’t stress about it too much and enjoy the process because it’s actually fun to find the right fit and meet all these coaches.” This process is stressful so make sure it’s something you want to do. Bolleretti says, “If you decide to continue to play a sport in college it’s gotta be something that you wouldn’t be hesitating to make.” You will know if committing to a sport in college is the right choice. Morrison adds that another aspect of the process for future college athletes to keep in mind is, “If the sport wasn’t there would the school still be a good fit for you.”
