I honestly believed that all it took to be recruited by a college was to play a game in whatever sport your love. If you got lucky, a scout would be at your game. If there was no scout, you could try to contact a college coach. Hopefully, he or she would watch you play and then ask you to join the team.
Then, I met Mr. Hanson and CST. I learned what it really takes. One thing that stuck out to me was that you have to be mature. By working with CST, I realized that you need to be serious about college. You need to know where you stand as an athlete and a student. You need to be sure of your commitment to both your sport and your education. There are a lot of kids out there with the same goal. I have to make sure I am more deserving.
Playing a sport in college is very important to me. It makes me feel more responsible as a person because I know I have to work hard to achieve a goal in sports while still maintaining good grades. Playing a sport in college will be a life achievement. I have worked very hard so far in and out of the gym, and on and off the field. I don’t want that work to go to waste. I hope that being a student-athlete will continue to teach me organizational skills, as well as how to focus.
But I don’t want just any college. I want the right right college for me. I want to make sure that I am playing at a college where I feel comfortable and where playing is fun. Because if you can’t have fun, why play? And, most importantly, I want to learn.
I also understand the stakes. College is a very expensive proposition and the idea of getting some help to cover the cost is certainly exciting. But, a scholarship is not the goal as much as being a student-athlete. I can only imagine what it’s like to play on a college field. However, I am realistic and know that I have a long road ahead of me, and hope that at the end of that road, I will have accomplished my goal.
