Sports in high school are a daunting commitment for students: not only do they have to juggle their rigorous coursework, clubs and various extracurricular activities, sports are physically demanding. For those who do pursue sports at CHS, they find balance valuing being on a sports team and all the benefits that come with it. Being part of a sport provides regular exercise and a sense of community, so many student athletes feel the sacrifices they have to make for balance such as missing out on social events with friends and having to stay up late to finish homework is worth it in the long run.
In college, these challenges are multiplied. Athletes are faced with even more rigorous coursework and newfound opportunities, such as fraternities and internships, make finding time for sports even more difficult. For many students, pursuing sports in a competitive environment is just too much. According to the NCCA, about 6% of high school athletes go on to play a varsity sport in college. While others aspire to make it onto the team and make the necessary sacrifices in order to be a student athlete.
In total, there are three divisions of sports at the college level. They are aptly named one, two, and three. If one does not want to compete or qualify for a varsity sport, they could instead play intramural or club sports at their school.
Lilly Fischer of Rumson speaks about her goals with sports in college.
“Division three women’s soccer is a possibility for me but not my main focus. I would possibly want to play a sport in college because being a student athlete would mean hanging a stable, built in schedule that I feel I could benefit from. I’ve also always wanted the sense of community you get from being on a team,” Fischer said.
Alternatively, many CHS students can’t break away from the competitive draw of their sports. Junior Kaitlin Brice of Wall is pursuing Division one field hockey at Georgetown University.
“I will be playing Division 1 field hockey at Georgetown University. I put in the work over the past 5 years to become Division 1 worthy because sports have always been a large part of my life and knew that I would learn more about the game and connect with so many more amazing people,” Brice said.
The social aspect of college is not lost at all, either. Beyond just the competitive atmosphere, she finds something deeper within the sport, off the field. “I was looking to bring my game to another level and be part of a team culture amongst a large university. I want to maintain the high competitive level in my game and later in life still be part of an amazing alumni association,” Brice continued.
Whilst many wish to make sports in college a priority, others see sports as falling on the back burner. Junior Andrew Seckular of Middletown speaks about potentially calling quits on his soccer career when he goes to college.
“I am unsure if I will continue my soccer career in college as I am not planning to play varsity but rather do club or intramural because it will motivate me to exercise but it is not really a priority for me,” Seckular said.
CHS holds students with many different personalities and interests which is exemplified here with the diverse decision making regarding pursuing their athletic hobbies in a college setting.
