Few people know the ins and outs of recruiting like Athletic Director Patrice Arrington. Once a star-studded recruit equipped with an athletic scholarship to the University of Oklahoma, Arrington went on to play professional volleyball in seven different countries as well as earning a roster spot on the US volleyball national team. She then coached collegiately at Fordham University, before beginning her tenure as an athletic director first for Flint Hill High School and now for Jackson-Reed. She has worked with dozens of student-athletes to help them navigate the recruiting process and achieve their goals. In terms of recruiting advice, there seems to be no one more qualified. If you’re looking for a little extra help with your own recruitment or are interested in what it takes to play a sport collegiately, here are a few questions Arrington has answered describing the ins and outs of recruiting.
Q: What is the first piece of advice you would give someone just beginning their recruiting journey?
A: I would definitely tell them to make a list of schools that they want to play at and a list of schools they want to go to—and they should be the same. I also always, always say that it is your own process. I think a lot of kids get caught up in their teammates committing and their friends signing, but everyone has their own process. If you don’t take it as an individual, it’s going to drive you crazy. It can get mental and very hard, but you should be enjoying the process. Someone wants you to come to their school—they think enough of your athletic ability that they want you to join their team and join their community—and that is very exciting.
Q: What is the biggest mistake you see athletes make throughout the recruiting process?
A: Going somewhere because [an athlete] thinks they aren’t going to get any [other offers] since they are surrounded by friends/teammates that are committing. Then they get to the school and it’s not really where they want to be, so they end up transferring. I’ve seen that a lot.
Q: What is your advice to those trying to determine if they want to continue their sport collegiately?
A: I would say high school is [a] huge learning process of deciding “do I really want to play my sport beyond this?” How was your experience: did you love it, did you love the practices, did you love the hard work, did you love the commitment? All of that gets taken [into account] because college is an even bigger commitment. It’s 6 AM workouts, your classes have to be right after that because then you have weight room, team meetings, and then you have practice followed by study hall. It’s a huge, huge commitment so if you don’t love it, or if you’re not passionate about it in high school, you’re not going to all of a sudden be passionate about it in college.
Q: Why would you recommend playing a sport in college?
A: Sports in general just brings people together. I think you just learn so much being a part of a team [as] it brings time management, builds character, and teaches you leadership skills. You feel a part of a family [and] when you are going somewhere new you have an instant group of friends. For me, as an athlete, I feel like my team is my family and I will fight to the nails for them. Playing a sport just makes [for] an overall better experience.
If you have the passion and drive to continue your sport collegiately, the recruiting process should be thrilling, not daunting. As Arrington reminds us that “it should be exciting [that] programs want you to play at their school, not stressful.” So, if you are interested in pursuing an athletic career in college—go for it! And if you ever need advice, feel free to stop by room A300.