Since grade school, I was a three-sport athlete in cross county, basketball and track & field. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I found myself unsure about my future in athletics. I knew that I wanted to run in college but the steps I needed to take to achieve my goal were a mystery. During my senior year of high school I was finally seeing the results of my hard work pay off and in return I developed a stronger passion for running. I wanted to find a school and cross country/track program that would help me reach my full potential academically and athletically.
At the time I knew very little about recruiting but I was aware that I needed to come up with a way to get coaches to notice me. I decided that I couldn’t sit back any longer and wait for coaches to contact me. I needed to be pro-active! I began to develop a list of colleges I was interested in and sent each coach a personalized letter expressing my interest in their program. I continued to stay in contact with coaches and due to my efforts, I was lucky to have found a school and a cross country/track program that matched my needs.
I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I rose from a recruited freshman walk-on to scholarship athlete by sophomore year. Having the opportunity to run for Illinois was an amazing experience and has had a tremendous impact on my life.
Looking back on my recruiting experience, I feel fortunate and lucky to have found the right school. Choosing a school and athletic program is a huge decision and can often be overwhelming. I know it would have been helpful for my family and me if we had a resource like NCSA to guide us through the process.
