For most people, Nov. 12 seems like a regular day, but for seven OHS seniors, this day was a milestone for their future.
Two students signed for soccer: Kylee Pikul (McKendree University) and Madi Kreitler (Quincy University); three signed for volleyball: Emma Hlavsa (Missouri Baptist University), Aubrey Elliot (Saint Louis Community College) and Julia Stroup (Webster University); Jaina Mazdra signed for hockey at Lindenwood University and Mia Endermuhle signed for softball at Avila University. To get to this point, these students had to go through a difficult process.
“I have been going to softball camps since I was around 12,” Endermuhle said. “I just pretty much emailed that coach as much as I possibly could, went to all of his camps and talked to him as much as I could, and made him like me.”
While Endermuhle had to market herself, Hlavsa had an easier route in the recruitment process.
“I already knew the coach that I’m playing for because I did private lessons with her,” Hlavsa said. “It was a bit different for me, but you know I was sending out videos to different coaches, and then I went to a bunch of different camps and I really liked the atmosphere at Missouri Baptist University.”
Picking a college that is the right fit for you can be difficult. Pikul had talked to a few different schools, but they didn’t feel like the right fit based on location and division level. Endermuhle, however, had to take other factors into consideration.
“The hardest part of the process for me was just picking what school to actually go to because, at least with softball — NAIA, D3, D2, D1 — all of them required different things,” Endermuhle said. “Certain schools can give you money while certain ones can’t. So finding a balance between the things you want is kind of difficult.”
The recruiting process can be difficult for many people and some may feel as if they are behind. However, Pikul had a positive outlook when things were not going her way.
“I guess I definitely trusted the process because it took a while. I was one of the last people to sign on my team, so I just had to trust the process, and just wait for my time to come,” Pikul said.
Many people grow up playing sports and most will choose to not continue to play because they lose their passion for it, but for these seven students, they were not able to stop just yet.
“Softball has been the one thing that has never changed in my life, and I’ve always had it,” Endermuhle said. “So it’s kind of a comfort thing. And also, my dad is the reason I started playing softball. So softball, so it reminds me of my dad. And it will always be something that is a part of my life, even if I’m not playing.”
