National Signing Day is hosted every year, allowing athletes the opportunity to sign letters of intent, for senior athletes to officially commit to the schools of their choice for their designated sport. The ceremony begins with coaches’ speeches commemorating the athletes’ dedication throughout the school year, their character, and their greatest accomplishments thus far. Each athlete’s future school and position is acknowledged as well as the journey they took in finding their college career.

This recognition celebrates the years of effort each athlete put in, as well as the support received from their family and coaches. Coaches speeches are followed by each individual athlete’s official commitment to their school. Each student signs individual papers that bind them to their respective schools. However, National Signing Day is only a small part of the commitment process. Significant work goes into each athlete’s path to discovery, along with that continued support from family and friends.

Senior Sierra Schwartz describes her own story of finding soccer at a young age and deepening her love for the sport as she got older. As she began joining competitive teams, her coaches introduced her to new connections and helped fine tune her skills as a goalie as well as helping her join a new comfortable community.

“I was playing rec league and my coach ran into my first ever club coach and [told him] ‘Hey, I’ve got this really great goalie’,” Schwartz said. “And my [current] club coach came out and watched me play, and he picked me up immediately. I ended up in a really great club.”

Many athletes also spend years finding the team that makes them feel that their best skills are being utilized and improved while getting the mentoring support they need. With coaches and teammates by their side, persistent players are able to rise above any struggles and become all-star athletes.

“I started with the Blues [team] and then I moved over to Slammers, and my coaches at Slammers have been super supportive from helping me learn how the recruiting process works, to making calls for me, they really really helped me.”

As athletes are promoted by their coaches, opportunities begin to be opened to them. As early as their sophomore year, coaches from various colleges will start to reach out to athletes directly. The schools invite the athletes to visit their campuses, and view their showcases. After thoughtful consideration and interaction with the various schools, each athlete decides what school suits them best and makes an unofficial commitment.