Dodgers to the Next Level

This year at MHS there are 13 athletes ranging from sophomores to seniors that have committed to colleges to play a sport. These athletes have spent years playing for different teams and the high school all in hopes of playing at the college level.

Field Hockey:

• Emilie Flamme: Amherst Field Hockey
  • MDO: Has knowing where you are going to college affected your outlook or schoolwork?
  • Emilie: No, I still work just as hard because I have no guarantee of admission. The process begins at the end of freshman year/ beginning of sophomore year, so when we do commit it’s a huge relief because we’ve been working so hard and traveling just to be able to play the sport we love while attending a great school.
• Emma Ticknor: Williams College Field Hockey
  • MDO: Is it a relief to know where you are going to college before most people do?
  • The most relieving part of being committed is that I’m not spending every minute of my day debating pros and cons of different schools. However, Williams is D3 so I still do have to work hard, it’s not a complete free pass. I’m taking 4 APs this year and still training a lot for field hockey, but I’m really glad that the biggest decision is over with. It’s also really nice that I now only have to do one application essay!
• Caroline Turnbull: Lafayette Field Hockey
  • MDO: How did you start the scouting process and when?
  • I started the scouting process by emailing a huge mass of college coaches before I was going to any tournament and the first year. I did that my sophomore year, but the coaches couldn’t answer personally until September 1 of my junior year.
• Amanda DaSilva: Richmond Field Hockey
  • MDO: What division did you commit to and why did you choose that division?
  • Amanda: I chose D1 because I liked the competitiveness in this division. I wanted to play with and against the best.
• Kaitlyn DaSilva: Richmond Field Hockey
  • MDO:What went into the decision making process?
  • Kaitlyn: I wanted to find a school that was very well rounded, academically and athletically. I felt that Richmond would challenge myself in those two fields and create amazing opportunities for myself in the future.
• Elizabeth Romano: University of Connecticut Field Hockey
  • MDO: How did you begin the scouting process and when?
  • I began the scouting process the summer going into freshman year through my club team.

Soccer:

• Bailey Hurst: Bucknell Soccer
  • MDO: How did you get noticed by schools? Is it a relief to know where you are going to school?
  • Bailey:  I got noticed by schools because of the club that I play with. I play for PDA (players development academy) Arsenal. After a tournament if a coach liked what they saw they would contact my club coach and tell me that they were interested and if I was also interested I should call them because the NCAA rules prohibit you from calling them before junior year. Although it takes pressure off of a lot of things it also reminds me of the hard work that got me there and the hard work I need to continue to put in if i want to ensure that relief of my commitment.
• Schuyler Fuchsman: Northeastern Soccer
  • MDO: Is it a relief knowing where you are going to school before most people do?
  • It’s a big relief knowing where I’m going. I committed April 8th of my junior year and it was an instant stress reliever. Committing early makes the application process much easier because I only have to apply to one school, but the pressure of performing and improving at the game is still present.

Lacrosse:

• Jack Thompson: Rutgers Lacrosse
  • MDO: When did you decide you would enjoy playing a sport throughout college?
  • Jack: Beginning of the summer this year, I had always thought it was too much of a commitment and not the route for me. I had been on a bad team and it demoralized my desires for college lacrosse. But I helped out Madison at a tournament and I got the attention of a few coaches. After talking with some, I decided to reconsider. Playing with a better team put back the excitement in me.
• Catherine Crowley: Loyola Lacrosse
  • MDO: What things did you have to consider when deciding whether to commit/ where to commit?
  • I had to ask myself, “Do I want a big or small school? Could I handle the academics? And could I see myself fitting in with this team?” Fortunately I was lucky to have gotten all of those qualities in the school that I chose.
• Ryan Kaye: Quinnipiac Lacrosse
  • MDO: Has knowing where you are going to school affected your outlook on schoolwork? When did you start the scouting process?
  • It hasn’t affected my schoolwork because I still have to get good grades and work hard and i began the recruiting process the fall of my freshman year.
• Lauren Taylor: Trinity Lacrosse
  • MDO: What things did you have to consider when deciding where you wanted to commit?
  • For what I had to consider when I was deciding where to commit was first off D1 or D3 there is a huge difference between the two in regards to time commitment. I decided to go D3 because as much as lacrosse is a part of my life, it is not my whole life and I did not want it to be my whole life especially in college. As the D3 process continued for me I was down to Trinity and Middlebury. In the end I felt a connection with the coaches at Trinity and the players more than I did with those at Middlebury.
• Mike Altrui: SUNY Cortland Lacrosse
  • MDO: How did you get noticed by schools?
  • Mike: I went to different showcases and tournaments throughout the summer with my summer team BBL (Building Blocks Lacrosse). In these showcases we we normally play a couple of games and then if it was a tournament we would go to the playoffs. Cortland saw me at the Jersey Strong Showcase.

Gallery • 5 Photos

With permission from athletes