Boise High has a rich culture of sports and academic excellence. Each year, a hardworking few are recruited by colleges around the U.S. to play, swim, run, throw, or golf for them. However, many students may not fully understand the process of being evaluated and signed to play sports at a higher level.
As a five star basketball recruit for the University of Southern California and senior at Boise High, Avery Howell has experienced the college recruitment process for high school athletes like many others.
The first step in being recruited to play a sport in college is to gain recognition. After honing your skills for years, you need to show them off. Avery gained attention from playing on her club basketball team, Meta Hoops, for three years. Throughout those years she attended different basketball camps to capture the attention of coaches. During the third year playing for Meta Hoops, her team was invited to the Adidas Circuit: an event for teams to gain exposure to coaches and media. After playing well, Avery was invited to go to Europe for two weeks as she was in a group of the top 20 girls at the Circuit. In Europe, Avery played more games against European teams and continued to gain attention from colleges.
While gaining recognition from coaches, athletes are constantly being evaluated. Avery has had 43 Division One scholarships extended to her, and each school that offered sent coaches to watch her games. Everywhere from Stanford, to Baylor, to Duke came to watch Avery play. Coaches not only look at the skill of a player, but also look at a player’s mentality, work ethic, academics, and teamwork.
The last step of the college recruiting process is to receive scholarships, and choose the school you want to attend. Students athletes should look at their fit at a school, and of course how good the school’s coaches and teams are. Visits, interviews, and long hours of thinking all culminate to an athlete’s decision. After careful consideration, Avery committed to USC, making the offer official by signing a National Letter of Intent on November 8th.
Boise High’s legacy of athletic and academic success is exemplified by Avery Howell’s achievement and will be by the athletes to come. The journey of a high school athlete is long and arduous, but the struggle polishes stone into shining stars.
