Payton Dye throwing a ball from 3rd base. Photo by Molly Dunn / Avalon
By: J.T. Koch / Feature editor: Crimson Messenger
After high school the next step for some students is attending a college and working on their major. For athletes they have the opportunity to commit to and play at a college. Some NPHS upperclassmen have already started to or finished their commitment journey. To commit to a college the process depends on the skill of the athlete compared to that school’s standards. If an athlete isn’t qualified they won’t be considered meaning that meeting the school’s standard is important to getting accepted. Some athletes that have already made their commitments are seniors Hayden Ramsey, Natalie Sevier and Azure Flagle all are committed to separate colleges for volleyball.
However the process isn’t only restricted to seniors, junior Payton Dye is committed to NC state for softball. Experience with the sport you’re planning on playing in college will help you in the long run. Having more time to learn the sport gives you more time to develop skills essential to playing at a college level. Ramsey started early with lessons to develop skills at a young age.
“I’ve always had a passion for volleyball since I was in fourth grade. I would do the mini lessons. I just grew up loving it, so I knew it was what I wanted to do in college. I just did everything I could to get better. I was able to commit to Bethel for volleyball. It was a true blessing that I was able to actually find a college that was gonna want me for their program,” Ramsey said.
A passion for the sport an athlete plays can build strong relationships with their teammates. Sevier has been playing since the 5th grade and committed to IU Kokomo. Starting with little leagues a love for volleyball was easily fostered and friendships came with.
“I have been playing volleyball since I was in 5th grade. I started out playing for the New Pal Dragons little league team, where I met some of my best friends to this day like Azure Flagle and Elli Nicholson. And it made me love playing, I started out setting and I loved it, I no longer set, but some parts of my wish I stayed setting because I think I could’ve been really good at it,” Sevier said.
After having the skills and passion for the sport, the actual commitment process can start. Reaching out to coaching staff, being scouted, campus visits and meeting recruiters are steps to take in finding the right school.
“I would say it’s a different process for everyone, you start out recruiting and making your own videos. I sent a few emails to the schools I was very interested in, and went on tours to the schools of coaches that reached out to me. Then narrowed it down to 2 schools. I came down to going and spending the night at these colleges and I felt the most connected to the campus at Taylor and to the girls,” Flagle said.
Commitment isn’t always quick or easy, the process itself depends on the needs of the athlete and how certain schools will accommodate those specific needs. The length of the process varies leaving it hard to expect how long it will take.
“It’s definitely very mentally demanding with the commitment process. Just knowing you have to trust God’s timing and what he has in store for you. I’ve been all over the country and choosing a school that was right for me was really important to me so just taking my time and getting to know coaches at each and every school was a big thing. Patience and taking my time was the biggest thing,” Dye said.
College is a choice about an athlete’s future. It’s important that a college offers a student plenty of opportunity to grow in their athletics, academics, social and personal lives.
“I definitely believe it has room for me to improve as both an athlete and a person. The girls on the team are just so talented and the program itself is so successful. But I know I will improve as a person and athlete because of my coach, Coach Hayes. I know she will really push me and I can’t wait to play for her,” Sevier said.
Whether or not an athlete ends up on the college team they always dreamed about, the most important part of sports is the connections and the memories made through the team.
“As a senior and how my season’s already over, I feel like you should just live it, don’t excuse yourself from the team if we’re gonna do something separate, go with them, or do something, but be involved with volleyball because it’s gonna go by really, really fast,” Ramsey said.
