This article you will learn For College Recruiting Persistence Is Key
, This is the continuation of our guest blogger, Brown University student and D1 Softball player, Erika Mueller:
Entering high school my priorities were academics first, athletics second, and a social life and everything else after that. For me this was not something I needed to be force fed. I was always extremely motivated and wanted to be the best at everything I did.
In school, this meant competing for the highest marks on tests and papers. In athletics, this meant throwing the hardest and playing the smartest. Throughout my experiences I quickly learned that there was a correlation between the time you put into something and the successes that are returned to you. Hard work, persistence, and focus, although obvious, truly set athletes and individuals apart in anything they do.
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I began contacting college coaches during my sophomore year in high school. At that point in time it was something fun to do. It would be exciting when I received an email back from a coach, regardless of how big or well known the program was.
When somebody makes you feel like you are important to them and they want you, or that there is a possibility for you to play collegiate sports, the feeling is infatuating!
The process forced me to develop a brand for myself and attempt to communicate this brand with coaches verbally and in written form. Regardless of how much athletic talent I had, coaches would not know that until they saw me play in person.
My objective was to get them to want to watch. It became more realistic for me to play in college when I started receiving interest and positive feedback from college coaches based on my performance at camps and tournaments.
The greatest piece of advice I can give anyone is to be persistent! The college I chose in the end was one that did not return any of my inquiries until seven months later! You never know when someone is going to read your email, pick up the phone, or see you make a diving catch.
Although this can be scary at times, it is thrilling when doors begin opening up for people who have worked so hard to tear them down.