The buzzing of my phone against my nightstand jolts me awake. I wake up to 20 notifications, all from people that I have never met before — a never-ending list of decisions I have to make perfectly.

They all want to talk. They all want to play the game.

I put my phone on silent and pull my blanket up, covering my face. Just another busy day for me.

This process is exhausting.

I have worked so hard to pursue track and field alongside an education at a great school. My eyes burn from spending another night on my screen doing work, and my muscles ache from practice, but I pull the cover back down and reach for my phone anyway.

Getting recruited isn’t all about choosing a school; it’s about what school wants you. They look at your statistics and accomplishments and see how you will make a difference on their team.

This is a decision I have to make, and the only way I am going to get through this is by attacking the recruiting process just like my track events.

Event 1: High Jump

This is my first and strongest event. Before every meet, I’m both excited and nervous, the butterflies in my stomach
turning into fuel the second I step foot on the track. I do my routine: I listen to the same music, eat the same food, and do the same warm-up before every meet. Do, repeat. Do, repeat. As the height of the bar increases, each jump gets harder and more challenging. I spend hours practicing my approach, driving my knee, and lifting, so my legs are strong enough to launch me over the bar. If I even graze the bar, it will fall off.

Stage 1: Emails/Calls

This is the first step in the recruiting process. I do the same research on every college I’m considering. I draft the same email to different coaches: introducing myself and explaining my interest in their program. Copy, paste. Copy, paste. I start calling interested coaches, filling up my already-busy schedule with even more calls. My parents help me practice and prepare for my calls. When I talk with the coaches, I ask them questions, and they ask me theirs in return. My heart races when I’m on the call, thankful they can’t see me through the phone. I can’t make any mistakes. I have to be perfect. This is the coach’s first impression of me, and I can’t blow it. With each call, the expectations rise, just like the bar.

Event 2: Long Jump

This is my second jumping event. I’m already conditioned and warmed up. My three events are consecutive. I visualize my jump before I even step on the track. Each track and sand pit is different, but I still do the same routine before every jump. I stand on the runway and block everyone else out, focusing on the sand pit. Can I jump farther? Balancing all three jumping events is hard, but it makes me a more valuable commodity to the recruiters, and I love it. Long jump is one explosive moment of giving everything I have. Sprinting down the runway at full
speed, I take off with great force and land in the pit, my energy depleting increasingly each time I hit the sand. One out of three attempts down. Only two more long jumps to go.

Stage 2: Official visits

This is the second stage of recruiting, and I’m becoming more familiar with the process. All of my visits are consecutive
weekends, four weeks in a row. This is the fun part. I get to visit all these schools and meet the teams to see which one feels
like home. Even though I might like a school, that doesn’t mean they will offer me a spot or place to stay. I can’t get my hopes up. I can’t get too excited. Each school that I visit and every coach that I meet is different. Balancing visits, school, and volleyball is hard, but it is something I have to do to be successful. Each visit leaves me a little more drained, and I know I still have more schools to visit, more decisions waiting for me at the end of the runway. One out of four official visits down. Three more to go.

Event 3: Triple Jump

This is my final and most unfamiliar jumping event. I started competing in the triple jump this past track season, and I’m eager to learn more. I am constantly making improvements from the mistakes I make on the runway, and based on my coach’s advice. At this point in the meet, my other jumps have taken a toll, and I’m feeling worn down. With each pound of my feet on the ground and jump I take, I can feel the ache of my body crying for release. I have to keep pushing. I have to win and jump farther. I keep driving through my steps because this mark isn’t just a number — it’s my shot at competing in college. It’s a chance to prove I belong at the next level. I need to win.

Stage 3: Decisions/Negotiations

This is the final stage in the recruiting process and the one I’ve been dreading the most. After all my visits, it’s time to sit down and make a decision. Now, I must choose just one.