Who would have thought the hardest part about picking a college would be telling the other schools no?
Not me. College basketball recruitment completely changed my college search experience, from looking through books and trying to schedule campus visits to coaches scheduling visits and appointments for me and awkward phone calls with various players and alumni. Suddenly, I wasn’t trying to impress colleges; colleges were trying to impress me.
Every coach, admissions officer and student was putting their best school face on once they found out I was a recruit. People would say to the players showing me around, “Oh this is a recruit?” And then to me, “You should so come here. This school is awesome.” Sales pitches were coming from every direction, and I was incredibly overwhelmed.
Between overnights, watching practices, campus tours, evening phone calls with coaches and lunches with players from teams, who wouldn’t be? Coaches were even coming to my high school games without me knowing when they were going to show up. My life seemed to revolve around what the coaches had planned for me next.
For my part in the process, I was left to sift through the tons of information thrown my way and pick the school that I felt was best for me. Considering scholarship opportunities, probabilities of playing time, compatibility with the teams and academics was no easy job. I found myself turning into Rory Gilmore with all the pro-con lists that were suddenly piled on my desk. On top of all this, I had to determine the legitimacy of offers colleges were throwing my way. What if I ended up sitting on the bench all four years? That isn’t what I want out of my college experience.
After all that work, however, I feel I have found the right school for me, and I am proud to say that I will be a Kenyon College Lady next year. Yes, they are the Kenyon College Lords and Ladies.
Little did I know the hardest part was yet to come. Picking a college was hard enough, but then I had to call coaches and tell them my choice had been made, so they could be free to recruit other prospects. I know that I will have to see a lot of these coaches again in the next four years, and I might even play against them. One coaches for a school in the same league as Kenyon, which means I’ll have to face her at least two times a season.
I hope that these situations aren’t as awkward as the phone calls I had to make. I just have to know that I had to make the decision that was best for me and know that I will be happy with what I chose.
Published March 2008. Digitized 2025.