Mandan Athletes Take Their Skills to College

Athletes with dedication towards their sport grow immensely when they choose to pursue an athletic career beyond high school.

Dominick Giggee has been committed to the South Dakota School of Mines for track since January 2023, he shares his decision to pursue track beyond high school,

“I decided to continue sports into college after my junior year, I wanted to keep running track after high school and not just give up,” Giggee said.

Many athletes approaching college like Dominick chose to continue with their sport through the commitment process.

The commitment process takes place when a college-bound athlete verbally agrees to play sports for a college, and later signs a National Letter of Intent.

This process can set student-athletes on a path of expansion, helping them gain better opportunities through their exceptional ability in sports.

Senior Karsyn Jablonski committed to Umary on February 1st as a Wide Receiver, he describes the commitment process as simple.

“After every game I post highlights from that game and post it on a film app hudl and then take those highlights and post it on twitter where coaches can see,” Jablonski said.

Athletes use film apps like Hudl, a hub for athletes, coaches, and fans; to post their highlights and establish a sort of social media presence for scouters.

— Emmanuel Dolo, Reporter

Athletes can also do recruiting questionnaires if available to present themselves to colleges.

When finding a place to continue their sports career, an athlete must be realistic. It is important to practice perseverance and use resources such as high school coaches to contact college coaches with their information.

Dominick Giggee shares his experience with the commitment process and how helpful his coaches were.

“I kept working on improving my times, the coaches made it more easy for me to understand what the commitment process better, I got advice from Mr. Sheldon and parents,” Giggee said.

High school coaches are a very good resource for athletes looking to compete in college, once college coaches reach out to them they provide information on the athlete that’s wishing to commit to a college.

Coach and History teacher Mr. Sheldon shares how the commitment process works for the high school coaches.

“The commitment process usually takes 1 and a half years, Coaches contact me and I tell when which sort of division each college bound athlete would fit into,” Sheldon said.

High school coaches are a valuable asset for athletes in terms of providing consistent training and conditioning.

“College bound athletes need to stay in weights and practice their sport every day, coaches and personal trainers are important because nobody else will devote more time towards your betterment than they will,” Sheldon says.

Another aspect an aspiring athlete has to consider is their commitment to the sport they want to pursue post high school, between the stress and academics of college it may be hard to stay on top.

College bound athletes expect nothing short of a hustle between their sport and academics once they graduate high school.

“Its gonna be a grind, you gotta stick through and you really gotta love the sport,” Jablonski said.

Athletes rely on strength, training, and passion for their sport to help grow their athletic ability. When an athlete decides to commit, they must trust in their ability to continue growing.