As the September 1st deadline passes, the flood of commitments from the Class of 2027 has officially begun. With college lacrosse rapidly rising in popularity, top recruits are being locked in closer than ever to the September 1st date, causing student-athletes to feel rushed in their decision-making process. It is not even a month into the school year, and already four Stone Ridge juniors have found themselves committed to top universities. But does this actually mean the athletes are in for good, and the worry about school can finally come to an end? In a year of heightened excitement and stress about the future, these juniors have a range of responses towards the process.
We spoke with three Juniors from the class of 2027, all of whom are committed to attending top colleges in the United States. Bray Donahue, who is going to Harvard; Birdie McKay, who is going to the University of Virginia; and Quinn O’Connor, who is going to Dartmouth. Our first question for them was how they would describe their commitment journey in one word or phrase, and we received responses such as “rewarding,” “dream come true,” and “stressful.” O’Connor also indicated there is a somewhat flawed side to the rushed nature of the commitment process, especially since it asks 16 and 17-year-olds to make life-changing decisions. To finally say yes and commit to a college is a major decision, even when students have been playing their sport for years.
Aspiring college athletes typically start to play a sport as young as 6 years old, often as a passion or following in their siblings’ footsteps. Players will then join a club team as early as middle school, with the ultimate goal of helping to commit their players to athletic collegiate programs. The process intensifies during the summer going into Sophomore year, with athletes submitting highlight reels of their playing during different seasons, an influx of back-to-back tournaments, and college coaches watching games. “It’s literally stacked with like 40 coaches, just watching you play. It’s like crazy […] but it is fun because it’s like, you’re just with a bunch of people and everyone’s in it together,” said Donahue.
Then, traveling ramps up again the summer before Junior year, with players visiting a few colleges for camps and tours. These camps allow prospective players to narrow down their school choices and target schools that would call them when the September 1st date hits. “I went to their camp in August, and that was what really solidified my decision and putting them in my top three schools. […] I just felt at home,” said O’Connor when describing her experience with the Dartmouth camp.
All three were drawn to their college choices because of the high academic nature, team community, and excellent coaches, players, and facilities. For McKay, the UVA “team culture is amazing. [The UVA Lacrosse team] took [the prospective players] to their apartments, and [when] we walked in, they were baking cookies and watching a movie on a Friday night. I could just see myself there.” Sisterhood among college teammates was an inviting factor in selecting that particular lacrosse program. Additionally, so was the challenge these colleges offer in order to improve both academically and physically, which Donahue and O’Connor also emphasized.
The emotional response received when we asked them how they felt after committing to the respective lacrosse program varied. All three were relieved and grateful that all of their hard work had paid off with commitments they are proud of. McKay focused on the excitement she feels, conveying, “I had tears in my eyes, but I was so relieved and happy and excited. And I think as it’s gone on, I’ve just got more and more excited because I’ll see a video on my feed and it’s just relieving and refreshing to know where I’m going to college and […] I get to think and start planning out my future.” Donahue explained the surrealness, stating, “It didn’t feel real because it’s such a crazy thing to be like 16 and I already know where I’m going to college.” O’Connor focused more on her parents and how they funded her journey to get to this position, voicing, “There are so many things you need to do. I’ve flown basically across the East Coast for the past three years of my life. So much money. And I was just so grateful because my parents have put in so much time, money, and effort into my recruiting process, and to be able to make them proud was just an amazing feeling.”
Looking towards the future, Donahue, McKay, and O’Connor all face the challenge of maintaining high grades in classes, GPAs, and SAT/ACT scores. Especially for Ivies such as Dartmouth and Harvard, a 4.0 GPA is stressed, which O’Connor said is “adding a lot of pressure. […] At the end of the day, I just need to keep doing what I’m doing because the stuff I was doing in the first place is what got me here.” McKay agreed that she has to continue maintaining the hard work she has already put in, while also enjoying the small stress relief that comes with being committed.
As she reflected on the mental resilience required throughout the commitment process, O’Connor brought up an interesting point. “I chose Dartmouth, and I’m very happy with the decision, but sometimes I often have reservations… what would my life look like if I had chosen a different school? And it’s super weird, it’s like the butterfly effect, to think about how your life could be completely different,” she said, reflecting how the recruitment journey is about trusting yourself, accepting the unknown, and growing from the choices you make.
