After years of early morning practice, intense games and countless hours of training, several girls on the BHS soccer team are taking the next step in their athletic careers by committing to play soccer in college.Their achievements reflect not only their talent on the field but also their years of dedication, discipline and the love for the sport. This current soccer season has become a memorable one for the team as multiple athletes announced their college commitments. Coaches, teammates, friends and family have celebrated the players accomplishments and the hard work it took to reach this milestone.
For many student athletes the recruiting process isn’t easy. Balancing school work, practices, tournaments and personal life requires strong time management and determination. Senior Clair Davis explained that there were moments when she doubted whether she would continue playing soccer after high school, “I was really excited when I committed because I thought I was going to quit and not play soccer in college,” Davis said, “The initial thought was just happiness.”
Senior Kaylee Repnow also described some of the challenges she experienced during recruitment,staying motivated through disappointments was one of the hardest parts of the process, “There was many schools that I talked to that seemed interested in me and then i got to the point where i was like maybe i could go there,and then I didn’t hear from them,” Repnow said, “so it was just staying in it even with the disappointments.” She also reflected on the experience of being part of the soccer team has helped shape both as athletes and as people, through wins, losses, practices, and teamwork, they learned leadership, perseverance and responsibility, “Being on the team means i have a support system behind me, there’s no way I would be where I am today without my team backing me up.”
Clair Davis hopes younger athletes who want to continue their sport in college stay motivated and committed to their goals.”Just keep pushing yourself and don’t let the little things get in your way of following the goal that you want,” Davis said.
The success of these athletes is significant because only a small percentage of high school athletes continue playing sports at the college level. Their commitments highlight not only personal achievement, but also dedication. As the season comes to an end, the athletes hope their accomplishments will inspire younger players to work hard and believe in themselves, their journey proves that perseverance, teamwork and passion can lead to incredible opportunities both on and off the field.
