You Are Not Alone
What drives the decisions we make in the recruiting process? Are the decisions we make fueled by passion, deep research, or something else? Your life will be a series of decisions you made based on the way you perceived that moment at that specific time.
For many, the decisions regarding college have lifelong impacts on the person you grow to be.
As a recruit you have to decide how you are going to handle the recruiting process, where you are going to attend school, what you are going to study, and if you really want to play or even have the talent to play in college. This can be an overwhelming situation for some and can lead to those recruits making rash decisions.
The Story of Elena Delle Donne
Take into consideration the story of Elena Delle Donne, whose recruiting story was recently featured in Sports Illustrated. She had left high school as the #1 basketball player in the country and could have attended any school she wanted. But Delle Donne also found her recruiting process extremely overwhelming, affecting her decision-making process.
Know What is Really Important to You
My personal recruiting story sticks with me to this day and has become one of my life’s biggest regrets. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t know what I wanted at the time and I didn’t care to share my feelings with those closest to me. It seems that Elena shared a similar series of events.
Be Honest with Yourself
The most important aspect of your recruiting is that you be honest with yourself and share that honesty with those who mean the most to you. Elena found this honesty after she left UConn and moved back home to Delaware. Family was important to her and she wanted to be close to them.
I found that family was a big deciding factor in where I chose to attend college as well. I learned, as did Elena, that we have to be open with our feelings about what we want from college so that the right decisions can be made the first time.
Similar stories have echoed through recruiting news over the past few weeks–the recruitment of Gunner Kiel and Landon Collins immediately come to mind. They too had choices to make about which college to attend and they met some adversity in their decisions.
There is No Perfect Decision
The scariest part about the recruiting process is hoping you made the right decision. It’s because of this fear that those closest to you become of even more importance. Look to gain advice from or just talk to your families, coaches, guidance counselors, or community members on what is happening with your recruitment at any given point. You don’t always have to agree with what they say but it is likely that their perspective or just hearing yourself aloud will offer some clarity, allowing you to make sounder decisions on your future.
If you have questions or comments about the recruiting decision-making process please contact us in the comments section below or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.