Come back every Tuesday for Recruiting Horror Stories™, athletes' first-hand stories on what can go wrong during the recruiting process.

As a recruit, it's great to have a plan of action for your recruiting process. But keep in mind that even your best-laid plans might not work out the way you expect (and that's okay!). Consider this Recruiting Horror Story with a happy ending. 

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I spoke with an alumni softball player who played for two different Division I programs because she didn't start out at the right place. She told me that Bazooka State* was never her dream school–and while Bazooka State had a great softball program, she was not 100% sure that it was the place for her. But she felt desperate and while she had been given offers by bigger and “better” schools, none matched the offer from Bazooka State. The coach had been watching her since she was 14 years old, which led her to feel as though she had a solid relationship with her. The coach made promises to her and her parents, the coach said she would have the opportunity to lead the program to a conference title. After some consideration, she made a verbal commitment, and a few months later signed the National Letter of Intent.

Related: Need to Know NLI Signing Dates

However, during her freshman year, this softball star pitched fewer than 100 innings. As her sophomore season started, she was ready as ever to begin working towards a championship since she gained some experience after freshman year and wanted to work and earn her spot as the go-to starter in the circle. But as fall and winter training dragged on, she started to grow incredibly unhappy as her coach paid little to no attention to her. She felt as though she was starting to fall out of love with the sport and by the end of that season, she recorded under 50 innings on the mound. When the school year ended, she went in to see the coach for the end of the year meeting. “There were times where I could have played you but I didn't,” the coach told her. What? Why? What does that even mean? ran through the player's head. She was confused and felt unwanted. So she asked for her paperwork and decided that she was going to transfer.

Related: How Does the Transfer Portal Work? 3 Things You Need To Know

The summer after her sophomore year was spent taking visits to different campuses and speaking to different coaches. She visited Oceanside State College*, a school that was rich with softball culture. Oceanside State softball was completely different from Bazooka State. They had won over a dozen conference championships and made a handful of appearances in the NCAA tournament. When she left campus, she decided to sign to Oceanside State, she felt that this was a dream come true. The school had offered her a spot on the team and an opportunity to earn playing time. 

In the two years she played for Oceanside State, she was a starting pitcher–she recorded close to 300 innings and over two dozen wins, due in part to Oceanside rekindling her love of the sport. She won many personal accolades and helped to lead her team to a conference championship her senior year. Most importantly, she became the best person she could be. The best part? Even after graduating, she still keeps in touch with the coaches from Oceanside State. They have become her mentors, and now her friends. She says that will forever be grateful for the opportunities that Oceanside State gave her. And while sometimes she does have regrets about signing to Bazooka State, she feels that the experience helped mold her into who she is today.

*Names have been changed for anonymity

Have a horror story of your own? Email us at [email protected]

* Originally published on January 10, 2023, by Nicolette Michalowski