It’s the time of year when students decide what college they are going to, and at Reedy High School, a number of student-athletes are committing to play sports at colleges. 

 “I played many sports growing up but soccer was the one that stuck with me the longest,”  Maeve Jones, who is committing to the University of Illinois for soccer, said. “My sister and brother also played soccer growing up so we were kind of a soccer family. When I started high school I decided that soccer would be my main sport.”

Athletes looking to commit to college-level athletics usually have many schools to choose from, so deciding which one they will attend can be a hard decision.

“Saint Louis University has the major I wanted, physical therapy, and the coaching staff was supportive in my desires to major in physical therapy,” volleyball player and St. Louis University commit Makailyn Hill said. “The campus isn’t large and that was important to me too. Plus the coaching staff and team were amazing during my connects and visits.” 

Students choosing where to go to college have many different factors to consider. 

“I decided to choose the University of Illinois because I loved the pretty campus and the environment of the soccer team was friendly, fun, but also able to be serious.” Jones said. “My mother is an alum and I grew up in Illinois and the north so it feels like I’m returning home,”

Some students see sports as a future career. 

“I think sports will always be a part of my life as I move into my career path of being a physical therapist,” Hill said. “However, I am not opposed to playing overseas and coaching” 

Soccer wasn’t always the plan for Jones but eventually became a big part of her life.

“When I moved to Texas my freshman year of high school, I started taking soccer more seriously and was at a higher level,” Jones said. “I started getting recruited and the thought of playing sports in college was a reachable goal.” 

Even though athletics might not have been the plan until later in life, many athletes started playing their sports at a young age.

“I started playing for fun during after school care in elementary school and thought it was fun.  I asked my parents if I could join a team,” Hill said. “Once I learned the game and started getting better, I moved to a more competitive league and eventually club.”

For many student-athletes, committing to a college is one of the biggest decisions of their lives and determines their future opportunities.