Reality of College Recruitment


 It is only every high school athlete’s dream to get recruited by a D1 or even D2 college or university. The thought of being able to pursue your dream within higher education is what gives many the ability to never stop believing. However, getting recruited is not something all athletes are lucky enough to experience


    Getting recruited is very challenging and rigorous, not only for athletes but for recruiters too. One student at Charter, sophomore Joel Enriquez, who is a top baseball player in Broward County, gives his input on how difficult it is to get recruited by colleges. “It’s extremely difficult to be noticed by colleges in baseball. [They] look at you and determine if you are worth it. Can you impress them? Do you stand different from your teammates? To be great, you have to want it more than anyone else.” Not only do you have to be a good player but you have to uphold a different mindset and attitude than anybody else in order to even get noticed by recruiters.


   There are many steps that colleges follow in order to recruit players. They usually start by going to showcases and games and seeing which players stand out to them. Junior Nicolas Roman, has gone to these types of games and shares one of his tips for athletes to stand out to colleges and recruiters: “you have to be the best player on the field every time you play.” 


   If you are lucky enough to get noticed, those athletes will end up getting letters of interest from these colleges. If you accept the letter, you will join hundreds of other athletes to be evaluated athletically, academically, and characteristically. You will be competing for a spot against hundreds of other people that have the same burning desire as you to get recruited. After evaluating these athletes, colleges narrow it down to only their top prospects. Then, the last step for college coaches is to ensure that each recruit signs with their program and meets their eligibility requirements. 


   College recruitment is a long and enduring process that only some athletes have the honor to go through, and the work athletes put in, in hopes of getting recruited is very demanding and grueling. Nevertheless, all high school athletes dream of making it one day.