How To Play Sports in College

How do I play sports in college? 

This is a question that I faced when I first got started on my recruitment journey. I spent many nights sitting at the computer with my mom, sending emails and creating profiles on various recruiting websites. In the end it all paid off, as I have now verbally committed to Southern New Hampshire University for field hockey, but looking back at the process, it was stressful trying to find the school that was right for me. 

Image courtesy of Gabi Selig

For many student athletes looking to play at the next level, it can be hard to know where to start or even how to continue once you’ve gotten started. Something that helped me in my process was hearing from other athletes about their own journeys. Here’s some advice I compiled from other athletes either done or in the middle of the process themselves.

Image courtesy of Oyster River Athletics

Oyster River High School (ORHS) is a school that produces many collegiate athletes and has many more students in the recruiting process, so thankfully ORHS students have a lot of resources to help them on their own journeys. 

A huge help for Claire Jorgensen (‘26) was Annabelle Svenson (‘24). “I started reaching out to coaches at the beginning of my sophomore year. I got an email template from Annabelle and started emailing schools.” 

Svenson was someone who had already gone through the process and was eager to lend a hand to Jorgensen. Svenson is currently in her freshmen year at Stonehill College playing Division 1 volleyball. 

Image courtesy of Lily Fitzgerald

Kate Michaud (‘26) also started her college search at the beginning of her sophomore year. “I was sending a lot of introductory emails, just saying ‘Hey I’m Kate I play softball…’ and just sending the same email to a bunch of coaches.”  

After this initial step comes a lot of waiting. A big thing to note is that most NCAA D1 and D2 schools aren’t allowed to reach out to you until June 15th before your Junior year, so if you don’t get a response, don’t get discouraged. However, sometimes you can get a response inviting you to a camp or clinic. Attending these clinics is a great way to build a relationship with coaches and to get on their radar. 

A resource that all ORHS athletes have access to is our Athletic Director, Andy Lathrop. Lathrop has recently started opening his doors to kids who might want to play at the next level. “One of my goals this year was to get more involved with the students that really want to play in college and help them through the process.” 

Lathrop only has a small amount of students he’s working with right now, but he’s hoping to make this opportunity more known. “I have probably five to six kids right now but there are some other kids who have started to ask about it. I’m not going to push my help on anybody, it’s for anyone that wants it.” 

Another opportunity for student athletes to get noticed is playing on a club  

team. Club sports give athletes the opportunity to play their sport with other athletes from around the state, allowing them to compete at a high level that high school teams can’t always offer. 

Image courtesy of Ana Clara Figueiredo

Jorgensen plays for 603 United Club Volleyball, and they’ve had a huge impact on her journey. 603 United not only helps Jorgensen improve in the off season, but they also help with recruiting.  

“The owner comes in every once in a while, and will talk about recruiting. He tells you what to do and who to send the email to,” says Jorgensen “[603 United’s] main focus is to really help with recruiting.” 

Michaud plays for Granite State Elite Softball who provide very similar resources for recruiting. “The owner talks about what coaches like to see and what coaches don’t like to see. They put a lot of information out about how to get started,” says Michaud “You just have to decide yourself if you really want to work hard and continue playing in college.” 

During the end of my freshman year and beginning of my sophomore year, I played for Summit Field Hockey Club. They helped me improve a lot, but during the spring of my sophomore year I wanted to play club basketball instead, so I could play with my friends and improve for the season. Even though playing club field hockey helped me improve, clubs aren’t entirely necessary to play sports in college. Club sports can be very expensive and time-consuming. If you’re someone who doesn’t have the resources to play a club sport, don’t worry, because that’s not the only way to get recruited.  

The most worthwhile part of my process was attending clinics and creating relationships with coaches. I went to clinics at SNHU, Roger Williams University, and Ithaca College.  

Eventually it comes down to picking the best school for you, and a big piece of that is getting an inside perspective on the program itself.  

Despite touring many other schools Mackenzie Cook (‘25) only went on one official visit to Syracuse University, and the team culture was something that really stood out to her. 

“The team was so tight knit, which was one of my top things. I would go drive around with all the girls on the team and hang out, and I just really wanted to be a part of that.” Cook committed to Syracuse for cross country and track and field at the start of the school year. 

Image submitted by Mackenzie Cook

For me it came down to SNHU and Ithaca College, and SNHU just had more to offer for what I was looking for in a school. It was close to home, had great academics, and had an amazing team culture. I am looking forward to my next four years as a Penman. 

Although this process can be stressful and difficult at times, in the end it all pays off and you find the best place for you.  

If you want to read about more Oyster River student recruitment journeys, read Ethan Wilson’s article, “ORHS Class of 2021 Athletic College Commits.” 

Congratulations to Mackenzie for committing to Syracuse University for D1 cross country and track and field! 

Congratulations to Kate who just recently announced her commitment to Merrimack College for D1 softball! 

-Olivia Andersen