That’s not something teenagers, and arguably adults are very good at. Especially in today’s world where we are living in a new normal, albeit we hope is a temporary normal. Anxiety is at an all time high. I know this from personal experience with my 8 year old son and 12 year old daughter, both of whom are ‘anxious’ about going back to school when sports will start back up again, when will they not have to wear the mask, when can they hang out with their friends with no restrictions, when will we be able to travel, etc, etc?
Teenagers, specifically high school seniors have a different kind of anxiety, amplified by a multitude of unknowns, especially with what the future holds after their graduation. Where will they go? How will they make this decision? How will they make new friends in a ‘virtual’ world? Where will they continue to play the sport they fell in love with some 14 years prior.
This anxiety is not helped with the culture of what is the ‘status quo’
“You must graduate high school. You must go to college. You need to declare your major relatively quickly. You have to do it like everyone else. It’s normal. We (parents) did it, so must you, and you must make a quick decision on where you will be playing college soccer…”
This has been the norm for decades.
Well, we are not in a normal environment anymore. Let’s take back control and think outside the box. ‘Let’s fight back and let’s take time to plan.’
Some seniors are extremely fortunate. They have been able to showcase their abilities in front of coaches and scouts pre covid, they were proactive but also had support. They have technology at their disposal through some very forward thinking college advisory programs and high school coaches. But others have been left behind with no support, and the inability to attend any events has been hindered even further with “recruiting dead periods.”
Therefore, some student athletes are being forced to either quit the sport all together and focus on their academics or make a hasty decision in joining a college program that is not an all around good fit. By a good fit, I mean academically, athletically, socially, and financially. Incoming freshmen should ask themselves this one question – “If soccer was taken away from you tomorrow, is the school and location a place where you would spend the next 4-5 years of your life?”
“Be patient…”
We are all surviving a pandemic. You are NOT falling behind. We are ALL in this together. You have a system in which you can leverage it to your advantage.
By this system, I mean use your GAP year if D1 is on your radar. Did you know you can continue to play soccer in your GAP year while taking part time college classes and NOT start your eligibility? Do you understand the 10 full time semester rule to play 8 in D2, D3 and NAIA?
You are still very young and you can take this time to be productive in furthering your development either technically, tactically, physically and socially, all while you decide where you want to go to college . Take your time in structuring the next 5 years of your post high school life. There are no life rules where you must complete things by a certain time, and if there are, then there are alternatives. Do not rush your decision.
Study and Play Abroad
Ryan Hodgson is the Director of Talent Identification for Challenger Sports Study and Play Abroad. Ryan oversees the recruitment of student athletes from North America and places them in universities in England where they can graduate with a bachelor’s degree in 3 years while playing within professional soccer academies such as Everton Football College. To learn more about this unique program, please visit www.StudyandPlayAbroad.com contact Ryan at rhodgson@challengersports.com, or express your interest in a webinar here.