Show me the money
College hopefuls battle for fewer offers By Zoey Katz, Staff Intern
Earning a scholarship to play sports in college was already tough, with only only 2% of high school athletes doing so, acording to CBS News. Now, due to the coronavirus, student-athletes have found that the usual scholarship process is even harder. After playing lacrosse at a high level for six years, junior attackman and midfielder Matt Hicks said that over the summer, COVID-19 definitely affected scouting. During the summer, lacrosse players usually seek national showcase tournaments, where scouts come out to see the young talent. But in 2020, there were about 50% fewer lacrosse showcases than usual because of travel restrictions. Hicks has been asked to tour several nondisclosed schools but has yet to be offered a scholarship directly. “I don’t like what COVID has done to me and the sport of lacrosse because it has made it so much more difficult to compete and get a chance to show your talent to coaches and scouts,” Hicks said. Senior football and lacrosse player Davine Martinez also struggled through the canceled 7-on-7 tournaments, spring games and workouts. COVID-19 more specifically affected the football off-season, forcing players to take on intense workouts and practices to stay competitive. “It definitely makes it harder, but honestly I think it will be okay because now as a country we have gone through a full season in multiple sports with COVID,” Martinez said. Martinez was offered to play football at Judson University and is committed to Elmhurst University in Illinois. Signing early gave senior lacrosse player
GRAPHIC BY ZOEY KATZ
14 | Sports < February 2021 > @TornadoTimes
Erin Wheaton a different experience. Wheaton committed to North Greenville University in South Carolina as a junior in January 2020, shortly before COVID-19 restrictions went into place, and the process was tough prior to the pandemic too. “It takes a lot of time and effort, especially in the beginning,” Wheaton said. During her sophomore and junior years, Wheaton sent out many emails to coaches and took trips to a lot of colleges. “The biggest thing for me was comparing D1, D2, and D3 options and what was best for me,” Wheaton said, “After a lot of going back and forth... I narrowed it down to two schools, and in the end loved NGU the most.” COVID-19 is also affecting coaches’ ability to evaluate players and offer aid. Ac-
cording to the National Strength and Condition Association, 16% of college coaches expect losing a few scholarships, and 4% expect to lose the majority of them. The survey also said that coaches expected this trend to extend to following years. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, has also extended eligibility for athletes in most sports across divisions, which might leave fewer spots available for this year’s class, along with less money, already offered only at the D1 and D2 levels. (See chart below). “I’ve been focused on training and working really hard... I’m super optimistic about this season because of the opportunities we’re getting and I think our team is prepared to compete and hopefully win,” Wheaton said.
Senior Erin Wheaton prepares to pass the ball to a teamate from behind the goal. The girls lacrosse team beat Ft. Lauderdale 16-10 in its first game of the year on Feb. 17. PHOTO BY NICOLE TORRES
