From larger sports like football and volleyball to smaller sports like tennis and bowling, certain high school athletes hope to play at the collegiate level in the future.

During the end of athlete’s junior year and the beginning of their senior year, hopeful athletes have already begun the recruiting process or have already been recruited, such as senior Jaelyn Grimm, who has committed to Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina.

“I’m really excited to be able to compete with older girls and get that level of play, when I’m used to the high school level,” Grimm said. “And [to see] the competitiveness of the DII level and see the other girls competing and how they work and live their life in college”

Although the recruiting process may seem difficult, between filling out recruiting questionnaires, filming recruitment videos and even sharpening skill levels, the main thing many recruiting coaches look for is talent and academic success, according to Southwestern University recruiting coordinator and assistant baseball coach Mike Montgomery. 

“I think typically kids who can take care of their academics in high school won’t have problems when they transition to the college level because they know how to budget their time between school, athletics and a job,” Montgomery said.

Due to the various rules set by National Collegiate Athletic Association, some athletes may be limited to the time they can reach out to coaches, so the best time to begin the recruiting process varies from athlete to athlete. 

“We see a lot of kids transform themselves from their sophomore to junior year or junior year to senior year when we’re out recruiting,” Montgomery said. “It’s kind of a judgement based on each individual kid.”

In order to be recruiting by coaches, athletes must understand their own skill level in order to be prepared for college, according to Montgomery.

“[It’s important for kids] to understand their skill level and where they’re at,” Montgomery said. “If they don’t run very fast, they need to work on their speed. If they don’t throw the ball hard, they need to work on increasing their arm strength.” 

For younger athletes who are still unsure about the process, it’s best to work hard and to reach out to coaches, according to Grimm. 

“If [younger athletes] want to play collegiately, I strongly recommend working hard every day in practice [and] staying on top of their recruiting process,” Grimm said.