Ever wondered how Olympic athletes made their way to the top? It all starts with a successful college recruitment journey. Whether you're an aspiring athlete or a parent looking to guide your athlete, read about a few tips and stories from some Olympians!
Leah Crouse: Grays Sponsored Longstreth Athlete
“My only advice to athletes looking to be recruited would be to get yourself in front of college coaches as much as possible. Whether it be signing up for camps, going to club tournaments, or doing Nexus, consistent exposure in front of coaches can only help you. I remember in my first Nexus tournament (then called Futures) I basically hid and was not selected for anything. Bad tournaments are okay! The best thing you can do is keep showing up and putting yourself out there! I came back that next year after not being selected with the goal of doing better and was selected for Junior Olympics!”
Brooke DeBerdine: Gryphon Sponsored Longsteth Athlete
“Getting started on the recruiting process was definitely daunting for me but I reached out to a few coaches and older athletes than me for help so I hope this can help to! The age you want to start the recruiting process is totally up to you! Some feel ready to start when they start high school. Personally, I started my recruiting process sophomore year of high school by going to college camps. To get noticed by college coaches, first I recommend always just playing your style and trusting all your training. Always stay true to yourself even with this added pressure. I recommend going to a few college showcases to get exposure. You can email as many coaches and schools as you are interested in and then they know you are at the showcase! My personal recruiting process involved first going to some college camps at the schools I was interested in. That way I could get to know the team culture and the coaching style. It also allows you to see the campus during camp! Another part of my recruiting process involved a lot of visits to colleges when I had narrowed it down to a few. A big factor to consider for me was the team culture so on these visits I tried to spend as much time with the team as possible! Plus, making sure academically I was happy with the majors they had at the school and they would challenge me. Overall, even though it can be daunting, my advice for the recruiting process is ask a lot of questions and take your time to make sure your choice is the best for you personally!”
Cassie Sumfest: Ritual Sponsored Longstreth Athlete
“It never hurts to start early, middle school/9th grade is when I started emailing coaches and telling them I was attending their summer camps or letting them know what showcases I was attending and when my game schedule was. But there is not best timeline and no such thing as too late to start looking and reaching out! I did all of the futures and additional showcases I could just to continue to get my name out there!”
