For many Mamaroneck Student Athletes, Covid-19 didn’t just cancel their sports season.  With many spring and fall sports being cancelled, college recruiting has been dramatically altered and many student athletes have been left to find alternative paths to commitment. College coaches looking to scout athletes are prohibited due to “dead periods” implemented by schools across the country that don’t allow coaches from leaving campus to recruit or from hosting camps at their school. This lasted throughout the summer, therefore, the only way student athletes could gain exposure was through emails, video, coach recommendations, and dialogue over the phone. This has posed a challenge for all high school athletes as it’s vital to understand the virtues, intentions, and relationships of the players and coaches before committing to a school. Getting this understanding is typically done over in-person visits to campus, an option that is no longer available.

Ryan Mcintyre (‘21), team captain and starting shortstop of the baseball team, explained his way of dealing with these unprecedented circumstances. “The recruiting process has always been known as unpredictable but with COVID at times it felt impossible,” Mcintyre explained,  “Without the opportunity to showcase at major tournaments, I spent my time and energy preparing for my next chance on the field. I had to adapt and pestered schools with emails to ensure my interest was evident. I’m thankful for my strong support system who helped me stay motivated and overcome the stressful circumstances that student athletes were challenged with.” Mcintyre committed to the early decision process to play baseball at Amherst back in July. 

Ellie Bruce (‘21), who has committed to the early admissions process at Georgetown for lightweight rowing, described how important it was to stay in contact with teammates and coaches during quarantine. She reflected on how, “despite not being able to practice on the water or in person, my team did an amazing job of coming together virtually.  Doing a workout with teammates over facetime made the whole training and recruiting process from home a lot easier.” Bruce has rowed for City Island for five years and announced her commitment to the early decision process at Georgetown back in August.

Jack Betten (‘21), star player for Mamaroneck’s football team, expressed his concern about recruitment and the challenges that came along with Covid-19. For football players, recruitment has drastically changed due to the season being moved to the fall. “Without my senior tape,” he says, “it’ll be a lot harder to get looks from schools. By the spring, many colleges have their roster’s set.” Betton has competed in virtual combines and actively reached out to schools but has yet announced a decision on any school. 

Amanda Zerbib (‘21) , a defender for Mamaroneck’s field hockey team, discussed her way of combating the change in recruitment. She described how “reaching out to current college athletes has been a great asset in helping me get a sense of the atmosphere at the school. Making trips to the empty campuses also allowed me to envision myself at the school and determine if it was the right fit.” Zerbib committed to the early decision process at Bates in July. 

Riley Moore (‘21), midfielder for Mamaroneck lacrosse, decided the best way to tackle the uncertainty of Covid-19 was to make as many connections as possible. “I thought of all the questions and checkboxes that I’d usually address while on campus,” she explained, “and I made sure that I could get all the first-hand information that I needed from as many different points of view as possible.” After a lot of time and energy spent, this tactic proved to be very successful for Moore. She announced her commitment to the early decision process at Davidson to play lacrosse back in May.  

Although athletes have been challenged by Covid-19, they continue to put the work in and it shows. Congratulations to all the Mamaroneck student athletes that have committed and best of luck to those who continue to look for the right school.