The college process has been a stressful and exhausting few months for many seniors, but for some, the process starts years earlier. College recruitment for sports start as early as eighth grade and can involve contacting coaches, playing at a highly elite level, and of course, having exceptional skill. Two of Webb’s own athletes, sophomores Chloe Stewart ‘20 and Victoria Romero ‘20, shared their experiences with college recruitment and verbal commitment.

When did you start playing your sport?

Chloe Stewart ‘20: I started playing Softball when I was about 7, in a city league.

Victoria Romero ‘20: I started playing organized soccer when I was four years old for the local Upland AYSO Team.

What made you start playing?

C: I grew up watching my brother playing baseball and started to really love the sport, but since I couldn’t play baseball, my parents signed me up for a softball league.

V: My family was a big part in finding my passion for soccer. Our whole family would have Sunday dinners where my cousins and I would play soccer. Most of these games would get so competitive that it made me want to learn more about the sport and get better.

How has Webb furthered your career in that sport?

C: Being at Webb has furthered my career because playing softball at Webb allowed me to really practice every day, which I don’t do with my travel team at home, and it helped me be ready for travel ball in the summer. Because Webb has such a diverse range of players, we really focused on mechanics last year, which helped me tweak little things to help my offense and defense.

V: My teammates on the Webb soccer team truly made my experience enjoyable and memorable. From the support on and off the field, from the disappointing losses to thrilling wins. Being part of the first team to ever win a league championship for girl’s soccer at Webb is an experience that I can never forget.

Did Webb coaches help with the recruitment process?

C: I was helped with the recruitment process mostly by my travel ball coach. The process starts even before high school, and I had already had multiple conversations with my travel ball coach about where I wanted to go. My Webb coaches did offer to help me through the process and even offered me a spot on their travel ball team but I decided to get help from my travel ball coach.

V: The Webb coaches, Cle and Dino, were fantastic. They would support and encourage all of my teammates and me to do our best and be the best players we could be. They also taught our team how to work together as a team to compete at a high level every game.

When/how did you become interested in the school you will attend in the coming years?

C: I always knew that the school I wanted to go to had to have high academic standing and that I wanted to go to somewhere out of state, so in 8th grade when I had to submit a list of possible future colleges, Northwestern was on it, and I began emailing them along with other schools.

V: I became interested in Notre Dame when they contacted my coaches expressing interest after they saw a couple of my games. They invited me to come and see their campus and one of their home soccer games. Having that experience sparked my interest.

What was the college commitment process like for you?

C: The commitment process was overwhelming and kind of scary at times. The thought of choosing a college at the age of fifteen was crazy to me before I really knew who I was. The process was a little hectic and crazy, but after talking to different coaches and then visiting Northwestern, I knew I wanted to go there for sure.

V: The college commitment process is exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. Being able to visit Notre Dame really helped me figure out what I was looking for in a school, which includes strong academics and a great soccer program. The first couple of phone calls with a college coach are tough but once you create a rapport with a coach it becomes easier and you start to loosen up. After many conversations on the phone and their coaches coming to watch my games, they made me an offer. After considering several different possibilities, I felt that Notre Dame is where I want to be.