Transition from prep star to college student can be difficult

By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
High schools stars are often used to accolades, celebrations and being the “big man on campus.” But once that athlete hangs up the cleats for good, the quietness of simply being a “student” can be deafening.
Going from being a prep star to a “regular” college student can be difficult.
Some student-athletes just don’t have quite what it takes to compete in college. Others may have the opportunity to compete, but instead choose to concentrate on their academics.
While some may be fine with giving up sports, others miss the competition. Playing recreationally can help fill the void for some, but it proves to be fruitless for others.
Whatever the case, going from the limelight to nothing can be a difficult adjustment.
Ashley Saunders was a pitching sensation for the Plymouth Vikings softball team. Her no-hitters, strikeouts and wins were well documented.
Saunders was a fierce competitor on the diamond. Her pretty smile off the field transformed into a scowl on the mound as she slung pitch after pitch past hitters.
Like many, Saunders had a chance to play in college, but opted to concentrate on her studies instead. And, like many, Saunders desperately misses the competition.
“I am a junior in college now and I feel lost not playing softball anymore,” said Saunders, who is now attending UNC-Wilmington. “I would love to play recreational/travel ball this summer. I really admire the girls who are playing softball in college and keeping up with their studies. I know that has to be difficult. That is why I made my decision not to go on to play softball at the college level.
“I also decided not to play at college because I had the time of my life with it so far. I felt like when I went to college, I was starting a new life in which grades needed to be my first priority. I made the right decision. I will graduate next May with my accounting degree and I will continue that fall to get my Masters in accounting and become a CPA.”
Saunders stays active and keeps herself in tip-top shape, but there is still something missing from her life.
“I go to the gym almost every day to stay active,” Saunders said. “I could never play the (recreation) softball here because I hear that it’s like slow pitch. I am too competitive to play so leisurely.
“I really miss softball and I wish I had taken a harder look at playing in college sometimes. Overall, I am very happy at college, but softball was my first true love and there is no hobby to fill that void now.”
Saunders is not alone.

Sink or swim
Tyler Kelly, a former star swimmer at Washington High School, found another way to stay active in his sport.
“Going from being a standout athlete in high school to doing nothing at all is not very fun at all,” said Kelly, who is now attending Pitt Community College. “Some people like myself go back to the sport they fell in love with and become a coach (Greenville Gators Swim Team). Others go to the gym as a way to stay in shape.
“Some find club teams in their colleges to play on so that they still have a sport to play, yet you always have those few that don't do anything at all. They do nothing more than sit in front of the TV all day and find a new passion, called beer. They just sit there and reminisce on their high school years and how great they use to be and wonder what would have happened if they had gotten to the college level.”

A time to heal
Being a multi-sport athlete in high school can cause wear and tear on the body. For some, like former Bear Grass High School standout Lindsay Shaw, the body requires a break.
“It was really tough adjusting because I miss playing every day, but I needed a break because my injuries were catching up to me,” said Shaw, who now attends Cape Fear Community College. “But life goes on and school is my number one (priority) right now. I played intramural basketball and slow pitch softball at ECU, but since my dad passed I haven’t done any kind of sports. Every now and then I go to the gym, but working at Deadwood keeps me in shape.”

Nobody’s watching
Some athletes, like former Williamston High School standout Stephen Lilley, play intramural sports to keep the competitive juices going. However, Lilley admitted that it’s not the same.
“I think it was tougher my freshman year in college being fresh out of high school,” said Lilley, who now attends N.C. State. “It was hard going back to a high school baseball game for the first time and having those nostalgic feelings of the practices and games. I've stayed busy with intramurals on a regular basis and play a lot of pickup basketball. The thing about intramurals is that it is almost meaningless.
“At a school of 30,000, you don't have any clue who your next opponent is and will never see these people again. Also, there is no one there to watch you play or cheer on the team and, even if you win, you don't really win anything. Also, the competition fluctuates between every game. Some people are really good; some are really bad. It’s just fun getting a group of friends out there and playing around.”

Staying active
Summer Rahn, a former star at Bear Grass High School, has stayed plenty active after high school. Rahn, who is currently attending UNC-Wilmington, said her transition has been easy. That was made all the easier by playing competitive volleyball.
“I played club volleyball, intramural football and softball and continued to work out on my own,” Rahn said. “I also played on several beach league co-ed teams on an even more competitive level than before. A lot of AVP players played in tournaments with me.
“I kept myself busy and I have no regrets. My transition is pretty smooth I would say.”
Cameron Whitehead, a former star at Washington High School, stays active year-round thanks to intramurals.
“One way I've kept active is playing multiple intramural sports,” said Whitehead, who is now attending ECU. “ I have participated in Co-Ed football, soccer, volleyball, basketball and softball. It has allowed me to not only stay active and in shape, but also has been an excellent way to meet other students.
“I love intramural sports because they are fun and not very time consuming. It allows me to be an athlete while still maintaining a normal life. In high school my life revolved around school and sports, but with intramural sports it allows me to still have a life outside of the sports fields.”
Former Nothside High School standout Phelan Fletcher has also taken advantage of the many intramural sports available at ECU.
“I decided when I was a junior (in high school) that I wouldn't want to play college ball, even if I was asked,” Fletcher said. “I played travel ball for about two-and-a-half years and I realized then that I wouldn't want to put that much time into practice and traveling, and focus more on class in college. I did and still play intramural sports at ECU, though. I played volleyball, flag football as well as co-ed recreation and women’s softball.
“I'm still very competitive and I really enjoy being able to play the sport I love and not have to practice and all that from high school. It is a lot of fun and it keeps you surrounded with sports and people that like sports as well.”

Now what?
Many athletes start playing athletics at a young age. There are now opportunities for young kids to play recreation softball, baseball, soccer and basketball.
Carrie Amici, a former standout at Washington High School, began playing softball when she was 9.
“It was extremely hard for me to go from being active in high school sports, especially softball, to not playing any athletics in college,” said Amici, who now attends ECU. “Ever since the age of 9 I had played softball, whether it was for a (recreation), school or travel ball team. Now, by being in college and in nursing school, I definitely do not have the time to play ball even though I miss it so much.”

Staying in the game
There are occasions when a former prep star will land on a college team. However, for various reasons, it won’t stick. Former Southside High School standout K.J. Reddick, who originally earned a spot on the UNC-Pembroke basketball team, found that out the hard way.
“My situation is a little different because I was playing basketball when I first got down here to UNCP and I was on the roster,” Reddick said. “Then I made a couple of immature decisions that I have to live with that ended up with me being suspended from the team for a while. When I returned after serving my suspension and doing all the punishments the coaches asked of me, the head coach and I started to bump heads, which led to this heated argument that got me kicked off (the team).
“The head coach held a grudge with me for a long time and when I was going to transfer, he wouldn't release me. When he decided to let me go, I felt I had worked too hard in my classes and established myself into my credits to leave and basically start from scratch. Coaches have got in contact with me to come work out or whatnot, but none of them put an offer on the table that would make me want to pack my things and leave and start over in the classroom because I understand basketball isn’t my life. Being a student comes first and my career in the future from an educational standpoint is extremely important.”
The setback didn’t stop Reddick from playing the game he loves.
“I play intramural sports in which we've won our division two years running and we travel to Chapel Hill and play (Division I) schools all across the country for the Intramural National Championships,” he said. “In the past two years my team has made it to the Final Four at Chapel Hill. It's really fun and it helps keep my passion for basketball. I also participate in numerous basketball tournaments where the talent is college athletes and some semi-pro players.
“The only hard thing is hearing coaches, friends, family and college basketball players saying I should be playing college basketball right now. That has been hard to cope with because I know in my heart they're right and my talent on the hardwood should be displayed on collegiate hardwood. But the same drive I have on the hardwood, I have in the classroom and I'm content with not playing because I know getting this college degree is something I'll always have to fall back on.”

Still have memories
Many athletes are upset that they didn’t pursue a college athletic career. However, they are able to fall back on the memories they made in high school.
“It was a really big adjustment going from having a game or practice every day to not having anything at all,” said former Northside star Megan Hollowell, who now attends Pitt Community College. “It is so different. I'll go to watch my little sister play volleyball and softball and it just makes me realize how much I really miss playing.
“Last year I played intramural softball and volleyball, but it just wasn't the same. I wish at times that I had played softball somewhere after high school. The good thing is that I will always have my memories from high school playing both volleyball and softball. I met a lot of good people playing and that is good enough with me to just keep those memories and still try to play whenever I get a chance.”
Like Hollowell, former Williamston High School standout Susan Griffin cherishes her high school memories.
“The one thing that I still miss about high school is playing sports,” said Griffin, who went on to attend UNC-Wilmington. “There was some great times had, lessons learned and great friends made while playing. I played club volleyball when I went to college, but it definitely wasn't the same.
“After college, it has sadly become more and more difficult to compete in team sports. I have to keep active by exercising, which is by far not as much fun as playing in a game. High school athletics continue to be some of my most precious memories.”

Missing the camaraderie
Being a part of a team can be something special in high school. It can be a tough adjustment when you don’t have your teammates around for support.
“The cross country and track teams here are really close,” said former Northside standout Clay Leary, who is now attending Campbell. “They do everything together. Every day you see them eating together or just hanging out around campus. I've got to admit, I get really jealous when I see them running around campus and I realize I'll probably never do that again (be on a competitive running team).
“I really miss the relationships with the team and coach because they were sometimes your support and rock, yet here you don't have that. It's just weird because before high school even started, I was a part of the cross country team and it made the adjustment easier to know at least I was a part of something. I already knew people and I already had a faculty member (Sgt. Charlie Woolard) I knew I could talk to while I was at school if I needed to and that he would look out for me. But then, when you get here, suddenly there's no team I belong to and no coach to watch my back.”

How do you cope?
Patrick Landrum, a former star at Williamston High School, said some athletes never lose that competitive spirit.
“That situation is an extremely tough transition because I think the most successful high school players are also the most competitive,” said Landrum, who went on to attend N.C. State. “High school athletes that don't play collegiate sports might choose to focus on other aspects of life or might not have the opportunity depending on the school they attend. However, the one thing they have in common when attending sporting events is ‘sizing up’ the situation and wondering if they could perform better.
“For me personally, it was extremely tough early on because I was not able to answer that question due to a lingering knee injury. I think in the end it doesn't matter so much the level of collegiate competition or the opportunity to be a college standout. The ones who truly struggle to adjust to a lifestyle without extreme sporting competition are the ones who truly love the game. I don't miss football because I wasn't able to play in college. I miss playing for championships and testing myself against the guy lined up across from me. After all, it’s hard to hit people in lifetime sports.”

Changing priorities
Bryce Stephenson, a former standout at Northside High School, said some athletes have to readjust their priorities once they get beyond high school.
“It wasn't extremely difficult for me because I never really had the expectation of playing at the next level,” said Stephenson, who went on to attend ECU. “I only had one college interest and that was from Chowan, which I wasn't interested in. I still play basketball as often as possible in the Rec. at ECU as well as for an intramural team. I've also focused more on lifting weights than I did in high school, which has caused me to gain 50 pounds since graduating. However, basketball is and always will be a big part of my life, no matter what my age.
“One thing I will say is that going from high school to college and not being a collegiate athlete really does cause you to have to re-prioritize and decide what is important to you in the real world. I know every college student goes through this phase, but when a team sport is your single most important focus for more than four years and there is no team all of a sudden, you really find out a bit more of what you're capable of on your own.”

A healthy choice
Many athletes can thank their grueling days of high school practices for helping them maintain a healthy lifestyle in college and beyond. You can take the sport away from the athlete, but you can’t take the athlete out of the person.
“I loved playing high school sports,” said former Washington High School standout Rachel Perkinson, who is now attending ECU. “It kept me active and I always had practice or games that kept me busy. Even though I don’t play college sports, I feel like sports in high school have pushed me in college to still stay in shape and go to the gym. I am looking forward to the new intramural fields to open at ECU so I can continue to stay active.”
Galen Niederhauser, a former swimming sensation at Washington High School, said he feels better by keeping active.
“It was a tough adjustment going from having a full school and practice schedule all day to only three or four hours of class per day,” said Niederhauser, who is now attending ECU. “I had a few months during the beginning of my freshman year where I really enjoyed a break from such a full schedule. I had 15 hours of class a week and I wasn’t working. That routine grew old pretty fast and I got back into sports.
“I joined several intramural sports teams and I figured out pretty quickly that I perform better in school and everyday activities when I commit myself to a full schedule. I did my studying and went to the gym and most of our games and practices were at night. I would go hard all day and get so much more done that way.”
Former Williamston High School star Emily Best, who went on to attend Peace College and N.C. State, said she didn’t feel the need to continue playing after high school. However, she wants to maintain the healthy lifestyle.
“For me it was not a tough adjustment,” Best said. “I went to a small school (Peace College) where it was easier to meet people and become involved in school. I didn't feel the need to join an athletic team because there were other ways to meet people and become friends.
“I keep active through walking. Raleigh has wonderful hills so it actually gives you a great workout.”

Life is a marathon
Marella Peele, a former star at Washington High School who went on to Elon, is taking it a step farther.
“I had never had to work out besides athletic practice so once I gained a little weight freshman year, I realized that working out was something I was going to have to work into my schedule,” Peele said. “Freshman year I was on the club swim team. Then I got busy with school and other activities so I began running to relieve stress from my classes sophomore year.
“I just developed a love for running and junior year I trained and ran my first marathon with (former Washington teammate) Elizabeth (Lekson). Ever since then I have developed a passion for running, something I hated in high school. Running laps around the tennis courts was like torture and now I really love it and it's a great stress release. I have run several half-marathons and am currently training for another with friends from school.
“Throughout these college years, I have developed an understanding that daily exercise is not only crucial for your health, but necessary for your sanity. I’m working now and make it a priority to work out either during my lunch break or right after work and it just gives me extra energy and is definitely something I've become dependant on. I just love to run and I love to lift in the gym and love to get the adrenaline pumping, especially during races.”