The Pressure of Choosing

The Pressure of Choosing

Yes, I have blogged about college before…. But now I feel like it’s becoming real. I have been talking to more and more college soccer coaches from different schools and receiving a tremendous amount of mail from an academic standpoint. Although I am only junior, I feel the pressure of making a decision is coming soon. I feel like so many people are committing to schools and I am miles behind them in the process.

I have really started to buckle down on making college visits and staying connected with the school I feel would be a good fit. As of now there are three schools I’m interested in and that seemed to be interested in me. First there is Drury University out of Springfield, MO. I have seen them play multiple times, they have an education program (I want to major in education to become a special needs teacher.), and I enjoy the coach. One problem with Drury is my older sister goes there and has played for the past three years there. Although she will be gone when I get there, I still think it is odd to be playing with people she played with in the past. I don’t want to be compared to her by my teammates or coach, that has happened in high school and we are completely different styled players.

Next on my list is Rockhurst University out of Kansas City, MO. I went to visit this past October. I enjoyed watching them play, they have an education with an opportunity to get a certificate in special education, the coach is interested in me, I am interested in the coach, and the campus is beautiful. One downside to Rockhurst is they seem very religious and I’m not very religious at all.

Third on my list would be Concordia University out of St. Paul, Minn. I do not know a lot about Concordia but I have heard many good things. My high school coach has talked to me about the college and it seems like a good candidate. Lately I have been connecting a lot with Concordia’s coach and he seems very interested after seeing me play in a showcase along with after talking to my high school coach. I am planning to visit early January so there is more information to come about Concordia.

These are probably the three top schools I know the most about, but there is still a tone of options out there. I think the biggest thing I need to keep in my mind that soccer doesn’t really matter. If I can play, great but soccer can go away in one tackle. I need a school that fits me academically and from a soccer stand point. But the academics come first.

There are some things I know I want in a school but others are still questionable because I haven’t seen very many campuses. I know I want to be out of Iowa, but in the Midwest. I know I want to play d2 or d3 soccer. I know I want to be in a big city but a smaller school. I know I want to be in a coed school. And I know I want to major in education. If only I could personally customize my school that would be perfect. But, I can’t. I guess I will just have to keep visiting and keep my eyes open. It’s important that I don’t close any doors and be open to many options.

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