The stress of being a D1 recruit
By Hudson Reynolds
Have you ever wondered what balancing school work and having to perform at a Division I recruit level feels like? This article will take you through the stress it causes.
“It's such a time commitment” said Porter Rooks, a sophomore at Providence Day, who is ranked the number 10 player in his class by 247Sports. Porter Rooks starts his day leaving his house at 6:00 in the morning and not getting back until 7:30 at night, and that doesn't include showering, eating dinner, and doing homework. He lives by Carowinds theme park which isn't that long of a drive, but when combined with Interstate 77 traffic in the morning, it can be a lot worse. For that reason, he wakes up early to beat the traffic on the way to school. He gets home late because of football practice, which generally gets out later than the other sports on campus.
When Jacolbe Cowan, a sophomore on the football team, ranked the number seven Football player in the nation in the class of 2020 by 247Sports, was asked about what causes him the most stress, he answered, “living up to the hype and balancing that with school work”. His performance has never been a problem for him, but coming from Kannapolis Middle, he said the jump was hard. It was hard because of the academic courses offered at the schools are different in difficulty, and in workload. “Anything is possible with hard work”, it's been tough but he has managed and done well.
Living up to the expectations of a Division I football program is not easy. It requires lots of time, hard work, and precision. While most kids sleep in and have free range to do what they want to during the summer, that is not the case for Division I recruit. Being on the football team means that he's at Providence Day for four hours every morning. That is his daily routine during the summer and year round. Once the season is over, Cowan and Rooks devote two hours everyday to intense workouts after school. These workouts are not mandatory, but if not attended, other recruits comparable in talent level could get a leg up on them. After workouts, the athletes are exhausted and have no desire to do school work. If they do not do the work, their grades will likely fall adding more stress than the normal Providence Day student.
One thing overlooked by most people who have not endured the college recruiting process is the constant contact from coaches. Rooks says he is contacted by up to eight different coaches on a daily basis. “I'll be trying to study and my phone will be buzzing with text from coaches, while I'm trying to study for a test”, said Porter. The common census from the athletes, is a feeling of added pressure due to the constant reminders from different colleges about them wanting them.
“It's a blessing” - Porter Rooks
One thing was clear to me though, and that was that the Division I athletes that I talked to were extremely grateful to be in the position that they are in today. “Yeah it's tough, and probably more stressful than the average student. But I thank God everyday to let me do what I love, and that is to play Football”, said Jacolbe Cowan. These teenagers go through a lot, and have dedicated lots of time to what they love. But in the end these athletes work for everything they get, and deserve everything they have..
Image courtesy of Carl Bruere
Image courtesy of Paul Hellstern
The Charger, December 2017
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