Commitment process changes

JOSH BASS SPORTS & COPY EDITOR | ARNAV GUPTA COPY EDITOR

Years of hard work and dedication, hours of demanding practice and anticipation for it to pay off, all to be rudely interrupted by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. By now, it is no surprise that the pandemic has put a wrench in the plans of millions of Americans across the country. With many of their sports seasons canceled or delayed and more in jeopardy, high school student-athletes have watched as their future aspirations are thrown into question.

With National Signing Day fast approaching on Feb. 3, athletes and colleges alike are scrambling to get back on schedule. Combating challenges posed by the virus, steps in the recruiting process have been altered. McLean High School athletes have been increasingly impacted by the pandemic.

Changes to recruitment have led to new uncertainty. As a result, the potential of many aspiring collegiate athletes has gone unnoticed.

“It has made it more difficult for everyone involved,” Director of Student Activities Greg Miller said. “Colleges aren’t able to travel the area recruiting the way they have in the past. Also, without sports for the past eight to nine months, kids have not been able to showcase their talents either.”

Now, with cases rising, sports teams are once again vulnerable to cancellations. Colleges have resorted to mainly recruiting based on film, as opposed to in-person events and tournaments.

“[Schools now] often reach out over text after seeing my film, whereas in the past they would often reach out after seeing [me] in person at big tournaments,” senior varsity basketball player Nate Legg said. “There are many schools recruiting me now that can’t allow me to visit due to COVID. We had very few tournaments this summer.”

The complications of the virus have led to severe repercussions on school budgets, lessening their allotted recruitment spending.

“Budgetwise, colleges have been hit hard by [the virus], so they haven’t been able to travel the way they usually can to recruit,” Miller said. “They are most likely relying on using their contacts in different areas to get recommendations on athletes.”

McLean athletes have also found the process challenging as they struggle to adapt to these unforeseen circumstances.

Junior Nathan Nguyen, a Blue Chip tennis player ranked in the top 15 nationwide for the Class of 2022, sees the toll the pandemic

No change Sped up recruiting Delayed recruiting

has had on recruitment, even for top tier talent.

“COVID has been huge [for the recruitment process]. I probably would have committed way earlier than I plan to,” Nguyen said. “That being said, I became a lot more open and have more options, but it has still been a huge inconvenience.”

As coronavirus cases increased around the country, the NCAA resorted to extending the ‘dead period’–the time when commitments are limited and coaches cannot visit or assess talent.

“My fellow athletes became very upset as [the dead period] kept extending. After training their whole lives and waiting for the moment to commit, many people took it as a slap to the face,” Nguyen said.

Junior Susan Shobeiri recently committed to Boston University for soccer without inperson recruiting or campus visits.

“My recruiting process was pretty long and involved a lot of effort on my end,” Shobeiri said. “The biggest challenges I faced revolved around the NCAA’s changes to recruiting rules, which especially impacted my class.”

The NCAA recommends several ways to stay relevant, including posting highlights on social media and staying in contact with recruiters and coaches. They also advise staying in shape and continuously talking to high school coaches.

“I made several training and highlight videos to make up for the lack of in-person recruiting,” Shobeiri said.

While the NCAA’s extension of the dead period poses some inconveniences, it also presents a higher degree of flexibility, as players can now conduct recruiting calls without a coach being present.

Players remain hopeful that they can overcome the ensuing challenges from the virus, and they urge the community to adhere to preventative practices.

“We need to come together to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” Nguyen said. “I’m not going to let a virus stand between something I’ve been training my whole life to accomplish.”