Dear Frustrated High School Athlete,
I know your pain. The feeling of being unwanted by the schools you were hoping to attend. The feeling that all your work was for nothing. I am here to tell you that I have lived through that. I am here to tell you that I have made it through. While it may seem like the end of the world right now, I promise you there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. It may take longer than you could have hoped, but it will make the moment that much sweeter.
As 2017 winds down and 2018 begins, so too does a stressful time in your life as a high school senior. Time for decisions to be made regarding your future, and your athletic career, if they have not been made already. I am here to hopefully provide some guidance along that journey.
Not too long ago, I was in your shoes. I was a high school senior, with what felt like no home for the next four years. Any Division 1 school I had contacted either was not interested, or did not want to guarantee a roster spot with some scholarship money. The recruiting process was a heart-breaking process for me. Being that I had not been able to throw 90+ miles per hour (mph), I knew that any Power 5 school was out of the question. Unfortunately, the smaller Division 1 schools I had set my sites on apparently did not share the same level of interest. As the initial signing period rolled around in November, I was left with a tough decision. I had just four offers, two from small Division 3 schools, an offer from a Division 2 school, and a JUCO offer. Now, until the summer, JUCO had been a foreign concept. I had the grades and test scores to qualify for NCAA eligibility, but not the home to allow me the opportunity I wanted.
The travel team I played for held end of the season meetings with the coaches and our position instructor at the facility we train at. So as I sat down with the three gentlemen, my first question was why none of the schools I wanted to attend showed any interest in me? Their answers were blunt, but helpful. I wasn’t quite there athletically. Now, they said, there are two choices. Settle on a school I didn’t love just to play baseball for four years, or, go the JUCO route and make a push to play Division 1, a lifelong dream of mine. My head summer coach, Greg Delmonico, whom I owe so much to, suggested Dean College in Frankin, Massachusetts, where his old assistant coach from college was the head coach. Sure enough, after being contacted by Greg and myself, coach Kaplan was interested in having me on an unofficial visit. Long story short, I committed to Dean in early December of my senior year of high school, after a late push by Sacred Heart ended with a wait and see situation. I continued the rehab of my elbow injury with a new sense of urgency, knowing that at the same time next year, I would be competing with other guys looking to move on to a Division 1 school.
My senior season was rather unremarkable. I was still coming back to full strength from my injury, so I was able to pitch just once a week, and then had to DH the rest of the games. I was inconsistent on the mound, and actually put up better numbers at the plate. I had no idea what to expect come the fall. When I arrived at Dean, I focused on pitching for the first time in my life. I was more eager than nervous to be there. I enjoyed a successful fall campaign, and began to set my sights on my next school. I would send multiple emails a day to different schools, and anticipate the responses. Thankfully, this time around the interest was mutual. After a winter showcase with the same travel organization I had played for, I was down to three schools, all Division 1. Eventually, I chose the University at Albany, as it was the best fit academically and athletically for me, and it was a short two hour ride from my house, meaning my parents could come to more games.
This letter was not meant to be a way for me to brag and boast about the elongated path I traveled in order to play Division 1. Rather, I want to use my story to educate you as you prepare for a big decision. Just because you do not go Division 1 straight out of high school does not mean that you will never play at that level. Junior college may actually be a smarter decision for some. It is one or two years to mature mentally and physically, adapt to being a student-athlete, and to possibly add to your list of potential schools. Personally, choosing JUCO was something I have never regretted. It allowed me the opportunity to play Division 1 baseball.
Now, the process will not be easy. Many schools will have most of their recruiting class full by the time you get in contact with them in the fall or winter. Do not let the rejection make you quit. You will be told no more times than you will be told yes in the recruiting process. It is a sad truth, but one that needs to be learned. Do not let one setback get in the way of what could be the opportunity of a lifetime. Do not sleep on JUCO sports. Take a chance on yourself, and then go and work harder than you ever have before. Do not let your moment slip away from you.
-Brendan Smith
P.S. A special thank you must go out to Greg Delmonico, who first brought JUCO to my attention, and then helped me get to Dean. Greg was also one of the first people that shared my belief that I was capable of playing at the Division 1 level. I also owe many thanks to Anthony Yacco, for helping to make me the pitcher I am. A thank you is due to my former coach Seth Kaplan, who took a chance on me after never seeing me play. Lastly, without my current coaches Jeff Kaier and Jon Mueller taking a chance on me in the winter of my freshman year, I would have never enjoyed the most memorable season of my career so far. Words cannot express how grateful I am to these gentlemen, but this is my attempt.