Signing Your Life Away

       Its the month of february, which means for runners in there high school senior campaign its time to sign with the college they wish to compete for in the incoming fall. A huge pressure for a high school runner who wants to make sure their future is set with the right school. Not to mention all the pressure from the colleges who want them and the high school running fans urging them to attend a certain college. Some runners on the other hand, face the pressure of receiving an offer in the first place.

What I want to know is what makes a runner eligible to be recruited, and what standards do colleges need in order to persuade an athlete to sign with their institution. Their are many cases where running fans question why one of the top high school runners did not decide to go to an elite running university, or why an elite running university decided to make an offer to an athlete with average best marks. Personally it drives me crazy, but every high school kid has his or her reasons for attending a specific university. It could have been that they like the academics, location, school atmosphere, etc. As well does every university have there reasons for choosing a recruit. Just because you are not the best in the state or in your division, does not necessarily mean you are not eligible to be recruited. It is my belief that there is no real standard that makes a runner eligible to be recruited to a university, if a coach notices something they like about you then they are going to want to recruit you for whatever reason. It could have been because you hit a mark, or won a race in a certain mannor, or felt that you were a coachable athlete that they can mold into something great. The number one thing for athletes to remember before they "sign there lives away" to a university is to choose based off there own opinions and not fall into any pressures. There is no standards that makes a college the right one to go to except for your own.