According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, only six percent of high school athletes go on to play their sport in college. This means that of the eight million high school students competing in a high school sport, 495,000 of those student athletes  compete in college later on. 

 To be recruited and eventually signed to play a sport is an honor and the decision to continue to pursue a sport throughout college is an important one that must be taken seriously.

According to TheWire, a major recruiting website, athletic fit, academics, and cost are the three most important criteria to consider when choosing a school for an athlete. 

Senior Braden Baker, recently signed at Drury University to compete in Track and Field. 

“When I first started the triple jump, I really enjoyed it and I figured out that I could continue progressing to the next level.” Baker said. “My junior year, I had a big breakout year, so going into my senior season I just fully committed to doing track and field.”

For Baker, the aspects that appealed to him the most about Drury included the location, campus, coaching staff, and positive culture. 

“Drury is at home so I can commute,” Baker said. “I don’t have to flip my whole life upside down to go to college.” 

Drury also offers the major that Baker plans to pursue. This was another important factor that played a part. 

He mentioned that the Drury track team is a relatively new sports team and he wants to contribute to establishing the history of it. 

Baker’s recruiting process was simple. The Drury coach emailed him and asked him for a visit. Baker visited and five days later he signed. 

What is each college like for a student athlete? How is the campus? What will school/life balance be in college instead of high school? These are all questions that student athletes consider when signing with a college. 

Signing to play a sport may seem daunting. However, college is a time for young adults to grow, mature and figure themselves out.