By DAVID LURIE
Each player¹s path is unique, with its own recruiting strategy, skill level and goal to consider when choosing the right institution.
The Oceanside High School athletic program, which has seen its share of dominance and defeat, produces several college-ready athletes every year. Some alumni have used their talents to play professionally, such as lacrosse standout Nicky Polanco, a 1998 alumnus who plays for the Long Island Lizards, and former Dolphins and Jets quarterback Jay Fiedler, who graduated in 1989. But for many elite Sailors, college will be the culmination of their athletic careers.
Rarely do high school athletes garner the recognition of a LeBron James, so it¹s up to the individual athletes to do all they can to attract the recruiter¹s eye. College recruiting has become an industry, and the 17-year-old athlete has turned into the product. The demand for the best players in the country stems from each university¹s desire to produce a top-tier team.
The relationship is symbiotic, however, and many of Oceanside¹s athletes are using their talents and demand to push them into academic schools that they may not have been accepted into otherwise
³My priority is academics,² said Dan McDermott, a highly-recruited attackman from OHS’¹s lacrosse team. McDermott, who recorded 68 points this season, has had coaches interested in him as early as his sophomore season.
In addition to being a skilled athlete, McDermott was named to the All-County Academic Team, an honor that recognizes his high achievement in the classroom and has expanded his choice of colleges.
Although the University of Massachusetts had been pursuing McDermott, upon review of his transcript, the UMass coach referred him to a school better suited for his academic capabilities. This referral allowed him to explore playing in the Ivy League.
Similarly, Tim Baxter, an Oceanside resident touted as an elite player in the high school hockey circuit, has enticed colleges with his slick stick skills. With equally alluring statistics and credentials, it is more difficult for Baxter to get exposure because hockey is not as popular as other sports. He had to actively search for greater vehicles of publicity to showcase his talents.
³I went to St. Mary¹s High School because of the hockey opportunities,² Baxter said. ³They had just won their seventh straight state championship and ... sent a couple of their players to Division I schools.²
Although he was forced to transfer out of his hometown high school, Baxter made the sacrifice to further his hockey career and has had to make others.
Long Island serves as a hotbed for Division I talent in lacrosse, but hockey is predominantly popular in other countries such as Canada.
³All the American colleges scout in Canada,² Baxter said.
In order to get noticed by college coaches, Baxter has traveled across the northeast, from Boston to Pittsburgh, to attend camps and showcases where college coaches search for talent.
These athletes have not achieved success with ease, as Erin Senior, a junior gymnast from Oceanside, has proven with her tireless 23 hour-a-week practice schedule. Although a commanding competitor in Nassau County, Senior faces stiff competition nationwide.
³I started e-mailing coaches ... in the middle of my junior year,² Senior said. ³I sent them DVDs of my competitions so they could look at my skills.²
At the college level there are compulsory maneuvers that Senior must be able to perform to compete at higher levels.
Finding the right school for a specific athlete is a daunting endeavor, but there is help. Denise Kiernan, the new athletic director at Oceanside, has made herself readily accessible to provide help with the process.
³The key ... is getting to know what your options are, visit schools and keep in touch with coaches,² Kiernan, a former Division I soccer player at St. Bonaventure, said. She left a word of advice for any student who is looking to compete at the next level.
³There is a school for every student,² she said, ³and it is about finding the right fit.²
