Caitlin Davis - Shepherd University
The NCSA recruiting process worked out FANTASTIC for me and my family. I ended up receiving four offers (one DI and three DII programs), but more importantly, I had real control over the whole process. Working with you, my family and I got the message out to all the schools I wanted plus a lot I didn't know were out there. I am now a second-year student/athlete at Shepherd University, a DII school in West Virginia. I started my first year, and the coaches and my teammates are great! We start our new season in a few days and we'll do really well this year. The best part is I know I made the best possible choice for me, and the NCSA was a big part of it.
The most challenging part of the recruiting process was trying to decide where the best fit for me would be. NCSA exposed me to schools I wouldn't have seen otherwise, so deciding the best place for me to go was easy. The nice thing is NCSA helped me see the incredible variety of schools out there, so it gave me the chance to make the best choice possible. It's my life; it was great to make the best choice with the best information possible.
I love being a college athlete. The schedule can be a challenge; between workouts, practice, study hall, class schedule, and dorm life its pretty much 24/7. I'll miss not getting a spring break down at a beach somewhere because our softball team will travel every year, but its a pretty easy trade off. The coaches and support staff here at Shepherd really put the student first while remembering as athletes we represent the university everywhere we go. Coach Leslie Lopez runs a GREAT program, and she looks out for all her players.
If I had advice to give to an incoming student/athlete, it would be this: trust yourself. Trust your instincts. Trust your heart. Be honest with yourself about what you want when making your college choice. Reflect on your wants, your needs. If you're true to yourself, the choice will become obvious. You'll be at peace with your choice, which then makes the whole experience worthwhile. NCSA gave me opportunities to see a wide spectrum of choices, the best information possible. I then made an informed decision that was the best one for me.
