Walls Student Athletes Have Begun Committing to College

This fall, seniors across the country are tasked with deciding where they want to apply to college. However, members of the senior class at School Without Walls who want to play sports at the collegiate level are tasked with a much different college decision process. While some have already announced their official commitments, such as Eve Rebora who committed to  Franklin and Marshall College for soccer, others are still in the decision process such as thrower Nadia Lytle. 

For high level athletes, much of the commitment process is about simply deciding whether or not one wants to compete at a collegiate level. “I’ve always been very passionate about soccer… and I knew it was something I wanted to consider while thinking about college,” Rebora said. As someone who has played soccer at a competitive level since she was 11, the sport has always been a substantial part of Rebora’s life.  That said, Rebora explained that “For a little bit I was doubting if I even wanted to play soccer in college, but when I had an injury and had to take a break from it I realized that it’s part of my life I really enjoy and something I want to keep doing.”

For Lytle, the decision was more clear cut. “I always knew that I really wanted to be a collegiate athlete, and seeing my sister achieve that goal had also influenced me.” Nadia’s older sister, Nicole, graduated Walls in 2022 and now runs track at Fordham University. For others, the decision is not always clear.

Track and field was not always Lytle’s main focus as she also has played competitive soccer, and is a captain on the Walls soccer team. “I got to a point where my level of track was exceeding my level of soccer, so I began the recruiting process for track,” explained Lytle.

Though committing to college earlier than the rest of your peers may seem exciting, it carries various challenges. “I’m sure the most difficult part of this process will be having to make a final decision, but for now I am finding it difficult to have to reach out to coaches with whom I’ve had many calls and tell them that I am no longer interested in the school,” Lytle said. 

Additionally, being proactive throughout the recruitment process is intimidating as a high schooler, especially considering you’re communicating with your possible future coaches. “The process requires you to work on your interviewing skills”, Rebora said. “You have to find the time to email coaches and you have to make a lot of calls which can be very stressful.” 

Deciding where to commit is typically an arduous process. Athletes need to choose what type of school they want to attend not just in terms of sports, but also considering education, location, etc. “I wanted a school that still had good academics and I liked the campus of, but a big factor that my mom always reminded me of is would I still be willing to go to this school if I was injured or unable to play,” Rebora said. “When looking at schools, I wanted to be at a larger school. Coming from Walls, a relatively small school, I knew that it was time for a change.” Lytle said. She explained how, “The biggest thing that I was looking for in a school was the throws program. Oftentimes schools will neglect their throwers and only really focus on the running events, so I was really looking for a school that invested in their throwers”. 

While the commitment process requires a lot of time, consideration, and hard work, it is definitely worthwhile for athletes like Lytle and Rebora. “Most importantly I am looking for a coach/environment where I can see myself growing to a level that will allow me to take track beyond college, which is my end goal”, said Lytle. Rebora said, “This process has taught me a lot of skills that I can use in the future.”