Saratoga athletes hope to be recruited for college sports

September 23, 2016 — by Christopher Lee and Roland Shen

Many Saratoga High athletes must go through a tough competive prcoess if they want to be recruited for a sport in college. 

Senior Andre Xiao loves tennis and has been playing it ever since age 5. The sport has given him a lot of joy in the past, and his goal of playing the sport in college is a goal he has been training hard to achieve.

Xiao didn’t sit back and wait to be recruited. Instead, he started the process by emailing coaches and expressing his interest. He introduced himself and explained why he is interested in their school. Xiao also updates coaches with his tournament results.

According to Xiao, he hopes these efforts are helping him make connections with coaches.

“I called every coach at least once a month if not once every 2-3 weeks. It’s key to keep in contact with them and really get them to like you as a person as well,” Xiao said.

Xiao is also aware of potential recruiters in the stands watching him.

“I feel pressure, but during the matches I focus on the match so I tend to forget about the coaches and it doesn't bother me too much,” Xiao said.

Senior Julia Vita also hopes sports will be the ticket to a great college experience. She has played lacrosse since her freshman year and soon learned she excelled at it.

“It's been a big part of my life since then, and it's taught me a lot about determination,” Vita said.  

During her junior year, Vita was named captain of the varsity team, a position traditionally held by seniors. She earned the title for her skill on the field as well as her ability to help her teammates improve.

Ever since her junior year, Vita has been looking for opportunities to play lacrosse in college and has created recruiting profiles on websites such as NCSA sports to gain recognition. She has also emailed college coaches and created highlight videos.

“The recruitment process has been super successful,” Vita said. “I’ve heard back from so many coaches, and I’m lined up to do some official visits.”

For Vita, the sport means much more to her than a shot at playing for a college team.

“Lacrosse helped me become a really good leader because when you’re passionate about something you really go all out for it,” Vita said.

Both athletes are still in the process of choosing which school they want to commit to, but they both have interest from several universities.

 

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