By Daytripper Ambassador Gabby Guzdek of Honestly Gabby

You may have heard the adage, "If you tore your ACL on the first day of practice and couldn't play all season, would you still like your school?” It might sound silly at first, but it's true! There is so much more to being a collegiate student-athlete than being on a sports team. College is going to prepare you for the real world, and the complete experience of being a collegiate student-athlete involves loving the college you choose to attend.

Before you start thinking about being on a sports team, it's essential to narrow down what you are looking for out of your college years. Are you interested in a big or a small school? Should the campus be urban or rural? Do you want Greek life to be an option? Especially important is to decide if you're interested in specific academic majors. For example, programs such as physical therapy or sports management often have small cohorts, and you should decide whether a particular academic program interests you early in your search.

If you are looking to pursue collegiate athletics, it's not a bad idea to start early. This is especially true if you want to go to a Division I school, as most DI schools will look to have their recruiting class and scholarships finalized at least a year and a half in advance of enrollment. However, if you are in your junior or senior year and just beginning to look, don't fret! There are tons of colleges looking for athletes, and chances are you'll find the one that best suits you regardless of when you begin your search. One key aspect of collegiate recruiting for athletics is to know the difference between unofficial and official visits. Official visits involve the school paying for aspects of your visit, and you can make five total official visits to DI/DII schools combined and an unlimited number of official visits to DIII schools. In contrast, unofficial visits are unlimited regardless of division and can be taken at any age! I would advise you to start with multiple unofficial visits, then make a few official visits to a small handful of schools.

Once you begin to make visits, whether they are official or unofficial, be sure to spend a lot of time interacting with the team! Go to classes, tour the facilities, do an overnight, go to practices or games, and really experience campus life! This is the best way to figure out if a specific school is for you. You can also get an idea of whether you see yourself fitting in with the team or not. When you meet the coach, come prepared. Have a list of questions that show your interest in the school and team. Ask about the time commitment, what you should submit in terms of stats or video, the coaching style, and the team dynamic. Don't be afraid to ask where you stand on the coach's recruiting list, especially if you are looking to join a small team or if you play an uber-specific position. When deciding on a school, you may not know exactly why, but you'll have a gut feeling it's the college for you! Good luck, and most importantly, enjoy your search!

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**Hi, I'm Gabby! I'm in the Class of 2022 at Wesleyan University, double majoring in Biology and Science & Society! I am on the Wesleyan Field Hockey Team, and am passionate about health and wellness. Follow along with me at honestlygabby.com or @honestly_gabby on Instagram! :)