High school athletes all over the country dream about getting the opportunity to play their sport in college. At South, there about 1,400 student athletes, and 20 or fewer South students get recruited to play in college each year, according to Tom Mietus, Assistant Principal of Athletics. While the recruitment process is different for every athlete, the general idea consists of athletes posting highlights from their games on social media, email schools, and waiting for interested college coaches to contact them. The following stories explain the journeys of five college-recruited athletes.

Rodgers plays D3 basketball at Colorado

For senior Norah Rodgers, basketball has been a part of her life since she was 5 years old— from practices with her mother to a Division III commitment at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO.

Rodgers was introduced to the sport because her mother coached basketball at New Trier High School for 30 years, and Rodgers would often attend practices and open gyms there, she said.

“My mom helped me love basketball,” Rodgers said. “It’s easy to hate it when you’re playing almost every day.”

Rodgers transferred to South from Libertyville High School at the beginning of her junior year, where she already knew two teammates from her club. The new environment allowed her to continue developing alongside supportive teammates and coaches, she said.

“I definitely thrived on the South team,” Rodgers said. “They were so welcoming. The coaches were awesome, and I was just able to show what I can really do.”

Rodgers began her recruiting process her junior year and first reached out to Colorado College that fall. She later visited the campus, where she was drawn by the school’s academics, mountain setting, and unique block plan, which allows students to focus on one class at a time for three weeks, she said. Committing to Colorado allowed Rodgers to reflect on all the people that supported and helped her grow her basketball career.

“When I committed, I was filled with gratitude because I knew so many people made sacrifices for me,” Rodgers said. “I’m not done with my journey, but I worked so hard to get here, and it finally paid off.”

Mietus commits D2 gymnastics at Saint Leo

From doing gymnastics as a hobby to committing to Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, FL, a Division II school for acrobatics and tumbling, senior Allie Mietus found passion in the sport ever since she was three.

When she was younger, Mietus not only did gymnastics, but also played soccer, she said. Despite how physically demanding the sport can be, when she had to choose, Mietus stuck with gymnastics. Staying committed to the sport means being able to trust herself, and remain focused, Mietus said.

“I always visualize my routine before each event, and then I pray while waiting for the judges to salute me,”  Mietus said. “It helps keep me confident.”

Despite the stress of the recruiting process, officially deciding to commit to Saint Leo provided Mietus with immense relief, she said. She also emphasizes that while individual moments in the process may feel stressful, the final result was worth the effort.

“The whole process was definitely stressful, but once I sent out the message that I was ready to commit, it was such a relief,” Mietus said. “I’m proud of the fact that I made so many sacrifices, and that I put in those hours of hard work when no one was watching because it all paid off in the end.”

Sheedy goes D3 volleyball at Wesleyan

Senior Avery Sheedy has been playing volleyball since she was 12 years old, and will continue at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, a Division III college.

When Sheedy’s friends tried out for MOD Volleyball club, she decided to try out herself, she said. She grew a passion for the sport, and after a year of balancing dance and volleyball, decided to dedicate her time to volleyball.

“Dance was competitive and different from volleyball,” Sheedy said. “I wanted something different.”

After telling her recruiting coordinator about her future goals and her intended major in  economics, Sheedy’s coordinator recommended Wesleyan, she said. Though Sheedy was less interested in Wesleyan at the start of her recruitment process, her coordinator convinced her to keep Wesleyan as one of her top schools.

“I visited Wesleyan around May this year, and I fell in love with the school,” Sheedy said. “I had a feeling that it was the right place for me, and they offered me a spot about two months later.”

Committing to a college was a huge weight off of  Sheedy’s shoulders, she said.

“I felt like the coaches there could almost be my family,” Sheedy said. “I felt very comfortable with the team, and the girls were very inclusive.”

Galat competes D3 soccer at DePauw

After a gradual recruiting process, senior Lyla Galat will continue her soccer career at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN, a Division III school. After playing multiple sports as a kid, she gradually started focusing on soccer, eventually making varsity as a freshman and realizing she wanted the sport to remain a part of her life beyond high school.

“I got so into soccer that I wanted it to be my life,” Galat said. “A part of wanting to play in college is that I don’t know what my life would be like without it.”

Her father, Paul Galat, who played Division I soccer at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, introduced her to the sport when she was five years old. He remained one of her biggest influences throughout her journey, she said. His consistent feedback, while frustrating at times when she was younger, helped Galat understand what she needed to work on to become a great player, she said.

“As I grew older, I started to take his feedback to heart, and it really helped me improve my game,” Galat said.

Galat’s recruiting process included showcases, emails, game footage, and camps, she said. She first connected with DePauw through a showcase during her junior year and was later invited to attend the school’s camp in July, she said. At the camp, Galat was drawn to the community surrounding the team, including the coach’s approach, the feedback she received, and how welcoming and supportive the players were, she said.

“They’re all so talented and very welcoming,” Galat said. “That helped me commit, because it’s more of the team aspect that I
wanted.”

During the visit, Galat was invited into the locker room before a game. She noticed the team’s high energy and kind atmosphere, she said. Galat also noticed a rainbow while leaving campus after each visit, which she took as a sign that DePauw was the right fit
for her.

“In the locker room, they started playing the ‘Riff-Off’ from the movie Pitch Perfect, which we play before every game at South,” Galat said. “I thought that it was perfect.”

After officially committing to De Pauw, Galat said she was excited to continue playing the sport that had become such an important part of her life, and explains her gratitude for the support she will receive on the team, she said.

“I’m so thankful that I get another four years of playing soccer, since I have a built-in team and people who are going to be there for me all the time,” Galat said.

Schott pitches D3 baseball at WashU

Senior Henry Schott developed a passion for baseball at just three years old. After growing up in a baseball-loving household, Schott plans on continuing his journey as a pitcher at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, a Division III school. Before his freshman year, Schott balanced baseball in the spring and basketball in the winter. With influence from his father, Schott decided to part ways with basketball and dedicate his time to baseball after his freshman year, he said.

“Baseball has always been my true passion, and it takes up the biggest chunk of my time,” Schott said.

After mostly playing in the outfield, Schott began pitching during his sophomore year, he said. When he was younger, Schott said he was never seen as the ‘best’ player on his team. After putting in consistent work, he gradually got better and now looks back on his previous experience as a way to stay motivated when facing challenges, Schott added.

“I love hopping on the mound because it’s a very different experience,” Schott said. “You kind of control everything. Going out there with the mindset to win is just something that really gets me going.”

Schott started receiving offers from colleges during the summer leading into his junior year, and received his first message from Washington University after pitching in front of them at a Showball in Naperville, IL, a series of college showcase camps created to get high school baseball players recruited, he said. After visiting the campus twice, Schott realized that the college aligned with his strive towards success athletically, and academically.

“Washington University is a reputable program, which is important to me,” Schott said. “When I visited the campus, I loved everything about it. I wanted to go somewhere where I could compete to win.”