Most student-athletes approaching the end of high school dream of going to college. Some attend solely to further their education, others go to continue their sports career. There is a lot of work involved in achieving this milestone. All throughout high school students compete to be the best, this can include becoming valedictorian, the president of a club, the captain of a sports team, etc. Colleges pay attention to how involved students are throughout high school, and what unique characteristics each person has to offer them to make the school more diverse.

For any student wanting to play a sport in college, you want to make sure you put in extra effort out of school. Firstly, you have to reach out to universities for them to know who you are, having a recruiting profile can also help them know to take you seriously. You can also get ahead by playing for a travel team that will get your name out there, making it easier to get discovered by universities. On a travel team you play in tournaments where recruiters seek out future athletes. You can take advantage of this by playing to your best ability and showing how you contribute to a team. Another way you can get noticed by colleges is by attending camps. Most universities put on camps led by their athletic program where you can go to learn and grow in your sport of expertise. If you make an impression while at camp, the college will keep tabs on you leading to recruitment.

Academics also play a vital role in college sports, most schools will only look at athletes with a certain GPA. Before recruiting tapes are ever viewed by universities you should’ve already passed the mandatory English and math classes by the NCAA course requirements. So don’t think just because you’re a good athlete you’re off the hook!

I am a sophomore in high school and would like to advance to play lacrosse at the college level after graduation. I play travel lacrosse for T.E.A.M Pride of Wilmington with hopes of getting recruited. I know the work that goes into playing a sport in college and am up for the challenge.