Finish Line?

Finish line! Nope. Not exactly, more like a pause and take a quick moment to breathe, celebrate, reflect... and then keep moving.

When I got my recruitment offer, I thought the biggest emotion I'd feel would be a sense of relief. Relief that all the struggle and hard work paid off. Relief that the uncertainty was over and the roller coaster of emotions was over. And don't get me wrong, I absolutely felt that, I still do, but what surprised me was everything else that came with it. The unexpected, what people aren’t talking enough about.

Alongside my excitement, I felt overwhelmed, and if I am being honest now, scared. Not because I didn't want what was coming, but because no one had really talked to me about what comes after the recruitment offer.

One former coach did, but it came a few days after I started to feel these emotions; however, it connected my emotions to why I was feeling this way, what it was specifically all about. And don't get me wrong, I'm still grateful he did, even if a few days went by, because now I can work on processing this. He said, "Make sure you mentally prepare for the next steps after recruitment." Actually now preparing to attend college, adjusting to being a student-athlete at a higher level in every area, and putting support systems in place before you arrive. Not scrambling to build them once everything already feels heavy. This hit hard! I mean, yes, it seems obvious, right, but I think so much of my brain was locked into just being recruited, I would focus on this stuff later, but later is now here, and he's right, the last thing I want to do is scramble last minute.

I also started to think about how I have heard and seen stories where athletes sign, settle into their program, and then their performance dips. Sometimes, due to perhaps comfort. Sometimes burnout. Sometimes, maybe all the pressure finally hits all at once. Either way, it's real. I feel a lot of anxiety around the idea of slipping in my performance and development. I worry about letting my guard down now that I'm "secure," or showing up and feeling like I'm not at the level that's expected. Instead of ignoring those fears, I decided to prepare for them. So here's what that preparation has looked like for me so far, in case this is helpful to other athletes going through a similar experience.

The first thing I did was ask my club coach to hold me to higher standards than ever before. More accountability and more expectations, such as not just being comfortable with the left foot, but confident. I didn't want my recruitment to be the moment I plateaued or, as he and I say, become "static." I asked him the day I received my offer, and that very evening at practice, he delivered. That alone took a lot of the anxiety away and reassured me that slipping wouldn't be an option.

I asked my parents to help me find support in the area where I'll be living. I reached out to a coach who lives there and asked if he'd be willing to build a relationship with me. Someone I could go to when doubt creeps in. A sounding board. A mentor. He said yes, and we're already building that connection, so it's in place before I arrive.

I also have family nearby. My aunt and uncle live in the area, so if I need family support or a hot meal, I know where to go. My parents and siblings are only about an hour away as well, which helps especially for my first year away from home.

On the performance side, I have access to a training center and staff I can work with during the off-season, and my COPA STC family is nearby too. Knowing I'll have consistent, familiar support helps ease a lot of the unknowns.

I also have access to Female Footballer staff, mentors, and programs, which I highly recommend athletes and families look into. Having people who understand both the athletic and personal side of this journey matters more than I ever really realized.

What I'm learning during this stage of my recruitment process is that success at the next level is rarely an individual effort. It continues to be a team sport and team effort, even off the pitch and outside my sport. After losing two people to suicide, I've become deeply aware of the mental side of being a student-athlete, and I feel a responsibility to prepare as much as possible. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too.

Recruitment isn't the end of a student-athlete's journey. It's the start of a new one. And the more honest we can be about that transition, the better prepared athletes will be to handle it. If you're approaching this stage, don't just ask, "What's next for my sport?" Ask, "What support do I need to thrive when I get there?" That question might matter more than any offer letter. So, thanks, Coach Bernard!