D1 or bust:
The Saga asked ELHS alumni turned D1 athletes why they chose the route they did. Here’s what they said.
“I was looking for a school that matched my goals for major academics while still being able to compete at the highest level I can,” D1 athlete Gavin O’Brien, said.
O’Brien is currently attending Salisbury School, a private boys’ college in Connecticut, and has played baseball since he was 3. His goal was always to compete at the D1 level.
“It’s not in my personality to do anything halfway,” O’Brien said.
He has a very competitive spirit and has wanted to find a place where he can envision himself finding success. When looking for a school to attend, O’Brien always kept his options open to find the best fit for him. He keeps balance between academics and sports, as difficult as it is to not prioritize one over the other. In both sports and school, he always is fully committed to both.
“I talked to schools that I could imagine myself happy at, with or without baseball,” he said.
O’Brien’s greatest issue when searching for a school was finding a place that would suit all of his needs, in both academics and in athletics. O’Brien explains that he wanted to be at a place where he was valued as a player and didn’t spend four years watching his teammates get more chances than him. O’Brien also explains that it was hard to find a school with a STEM program that would suit his academic needs. O’Brien didn’t want to have to choose school over sports, or vice versa.
“It’s all about time management and not procrastinating,” D1 rower at Boston College Jennie Sherwood said. For Sherwood, school is a priority over rowing. She says balancing academics and athletics is very similar to high school, just on a higher level.
“It’s a big commitment, basically a job, but there are a lot of perks and life lessons I’m learning by being a D1 student-athlete, ” Sherwood said.
Sherwood does not regret her decision to go D1 at Boston College and has done well balancing school and sports while attending.
“I think it was a good choice for me, but it’s definitely not for everyone,” Sherwood said.
D3 is for me:
People who could potentially play D1 in college do not always choose to. There are many different factors that go into choosing what is best for their future.
“That sounded like a lot to me, I’m not fast enough to prioritize running over school,” freshman at Simmons University Hannah Bergeron said.
Taking on D1 or D2 athletics is a lot, especially for students who are choosing to take on a major that needs extreme time and effort to succeed. Often, when a student-athlete continues to play in college they have to give up the opportunity of a harder major in order to fit athletics into their schedule. Bergeron is majoring in physical therapy which has become a priority over her athletic career.
“I really wanted to run in college because I love to be busy. I love to run, yes, but keeping myself busy I’m able to get so much more done,” Bergeron said.
Like Bergeron, many want to continue playing their sport in college to stay busy, but not become overwhelmed. Choosing D3 over D1 makes this a reality for many students including Bergeron. Similarly to Bergeron, Skylar Bell, a senior at ELHS is also choosing D3 over D1.
“I’m going to try to focus more on my career than athletics,” volleyball team captain Bell said.
Bell has been playing volleyball since she was 5 and has just recently passed a school record set by her older sister, surpassing 1000 game digs in her career. Bell is undecided whether she will play in college but is planning to go into nursing which will take dedication and a lot of her time. Bell is also concerned about the pressure of playing at such a high level.
“I try to tell myself that there’s no pressure,” Bell said.
She has played her whole life with her community on the sideline, cheering her on.
While some student-athletes are willing to make time to commit fully to a sport, this is not ideal for everyone. Committing D1 is not an easy decision to make and can take away from the average college experience. Choosing to go D3 or D2 lets athletes continue to enjoy their sport while letting them have more control over their lives.
