Receiving a scholarship to a Division I(D1) school is the pinnacle of any high school athlete’s career. It is where hard work, dedication, and talent are rewarded with a call from a college coach welcoming you to the team.
“It’s been a goal, I set my mind to, and I have set for myself since I was young, and I was able to surround myself with the right people that kept me going,” Nolan Eberwein ‘25 said. Eberwein is committed to baseball at the University of Southern California(USC). USC has a long legacy in collegiate baseball, with multiple college world series championships, and a known strength in developing top level athletes.
“After college I plan on being a Major League Baseball(MLB) player,” Eberwein said. With his sights on the MLB, committing D1 is just the first step. His hard work and dedication to the sport he loves will not go away once he goes D1. The dream of playing Professional sports just becomes one step closer to being a reality once you reach collegiate play.
Still the percentage of D1 players that get a chance in the limelight of a professional sport is less than 2%. Yet for those like Eberwein who have shown relentless determination to reach their goals the MLB is in his grasp.
Though there are D1 athletes whose end goal is to make it to the professional leagues, there are also those who play so they can get into a great college and continue to expand their educational prowess.
“[After college] I definitely want to do something in the business field, like working on wall street,” Aden Andersen ‘25, who committed to Boston College for lacrosse, said. This commitment to a different area of expertise shows how collegiate sports can be a stepping stone to a different career. These scholarships offer a ticket to competitive schools and open up new opportunities.
Long-term success is what many athletes see. Sports are not just something to play but a discipline that can be implemented in other industries and used as a foundation for success. That is what makes D1 scholarships special- offering the prospect of excelling both academically and athletically. Andersen’s devotion represents the limitless opportunities in the world after college, whether it is in sports or a different career path.
In every sport becoming a top level athlete is something to be proud of, but it is hard to do without support from friends and family. Signing day is a proud day not only for those who are actually signing but those who have seen the athlete go through your journey to get where they are.
“My mom has helped me the most with my journey,” said Amiya Warner ‘25, who committed to University of Arizona for soccer. The journey to becoming a D1 athlete is riddled with bumps and struggles. For the athletes, having people around them to pick them up when they are struggling and lead them in the right direction is crucial to their growth as an athlete. The training is rigorous and intense, but with someone always there to support them and help them in consistency, the journey becomes a lot easier.
