For many high school athletes, playing sports at a college level is a dream they have worked towards for years. Now, that dream is becoming a reality for athletes at OH as they receive a multitude of offers to take on the next step of their athletic careers.
“It has been my dream to go D1 since I was little,” OH senior football tight end Ryan Wynn said. “I had to learn most of the recruiting process on my own since senior year summer.”
Wynn mentioned how talking to someone can really assist you in the process.
“Coach Cooney was my biggest help, teaching me how to reach out to colleges. For the younger athletes looking to play in college, keep grinding, find someone to look up to and watch their game and learn from it.”
OH junior basketball point guard Ethan Vahl currently has six offers, and received his first offer as a freshman.
“It was a blessing,” Vahl said, “[and] a great opportunity, because not a lot of kids get the chance … as a freshman, or even a [D1] offer in high school. I wasn’t able to message coaches much at first because I was still a freshman. Conversations through the phone with coaches went really well.”
While Vahl still has one more year of high school, he’s planning to keep his options open and see what colleges may reach out in the future.
“[I’lll keep an]open mind to any colleges that reach out, but having D1 offers means the D2 and D3 offers won’t stick out as much,” Vahl said.
OH College and Career Center Director Tracy Kroger, who has had two of her kids attend college for sports, said the process to get to college athletics is a fun, and very human-centered.
“Every time [my kids] got an offer was super exciting,” Kroger said. “Meeting the coaches, talking to the coaches, touring the campus, and much more.”
Most high school athletes offered an opportunity to play in college are excited to get the chance to play at a post-secondary level.
“[For my son,] rejecting offers was the hardest part,” Kroger explained, “because he would get the offer and make a bond with the coaches and get super close and had to end up telling them that he wouldn’t end up committing to them.”
Ultimately, getting a college offer is a major accomplishment for high school athletes, as it shows that their hard work, dedication, and commitment to their sport can create opportunities for their future.
For student athletes aiming to continue their sport in college, the OH College and Career Center supports athlete-specific needs, as well as general college questions, too. Kroger is available to help all OH students in their next steps after high school.
