Struggles in college recruiting encourages rare sports Sophie Gurdus There are nearly 7 million studentathletes in high schools around the country. But, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), not even 500,000 of them will continue to practice their sport in college. Participating in athletics in college is desirable for several reasons: love for the sport, a desire to go professional, the scholarship money it may offer, or the prestigious education it allows. For those with more lofty ambitions, sports are a means to get into college and receive a scholarship. But, because of this, rare recruiting sports have become an industry of their own. Title IX is especially important for those female high school athletes looking to continue to college athletics. It states women are to have an equal educational opportunity in federally funded programs, which made dramatic effects for women in sports. Scholarships for women have since risen in quantity, but competitiveness remains an issue; after all, there is no shortage of female athletes. To remedy this, many turn to sports that garner less attention, like lacrosse, golf, fencing, crew, and wrestling. Fewer competitors mean scholarships are more easily attained, although still far from easy.
Fencing might not be at the forefront of your mind when someone says college athletics, but it remains a strategic choice for girls looking to get into college. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, there are only 46 women’s college fencing teams in the U.S., but over Kate Bautina 35% of women’s fencers participating in their high school leagues continue to the collegiate level, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). That is nearly quadruple the number of field hockey commits, well over double the number of lacrosse commits, and about five times the number of cross country commits. Anna Bautina, a Carlmont junior, started fencing in 4th grade and has since stopped. “We would host small, in-club competitions every Saturday, and whoever the two best fencers left were would fence with everyone else watching,” Bautina said. “Most people would attend competitions every few months, some of which were out of state.” Lacrosse Although not present at many high schools, is likely one fencing is a popular choice for high of the more schoolers looking for a sport with the familiar sports on opportunity for a college scholarship. this list. And there’s It’s especially common for women a reason why. Over the to take up fencing with the past two decades, women’s goals of being recruited, lacrosse teams nearly doubled, with women’s collegiate increasing from 256 to 505. It’s fencing teams a fast-growing sport and shows no outnumbering signs of slowing down. Thousands of girls that of the across the country pick it up, aiming to be men’s by 10. recruited for college before it gets impossibly competitive. Others start for athletic credits or for the experience of being on a high school team. Catie O’Connor, a senior at Carlmont, started her freshman year. “I found it so fun and incredibly easy to get into because most people on the team were also beginners,” O’Connor said. According to Patrick Smith, Carlmont’s athletic director, only one female student has continued to play lacrosse collegiately in the past few years. But, outside of Carlmont, over 12,000 women lacrosse players continue on a year; 12% of athletes make it to the collegiate level, huge in comparison to sports like volleyball and basketball, Gary Nakayama both coming in around 4%.
20 HIGHLANDER SPORTS
