James* was a fantastic ice hockey player who elected to play a year of junior hockey before going to a small D1 university. He had received interest from Ivy League schools and big D1 schools, but James remained committed to the smaller D1 school because he was promised the world. Instead, he had to come to terms with the lies and deceit that surrounded him.
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James was always branded the stud in his family, and while at his high school boarding school, he dominated the hockey games–in his senior year, James' performance started attracting the interest from the Ivy League schools, but his first offer came as a full-ride scholarship from a smaller D1 university. During his visit to the school after his senior year, the coach wooed him and his parents..but they didn't know that this coach did everything he could to get James, even if that meant lying to him.
James seemed to love the coaching staff, the players he met, and the culture, and he was also promised a starting position among other things which had him extremely excited about his opportunity to attend this university. But James decided to play a year at the junior hockey league level (USHL): a league typically for 16-20-year-olds who want to focus on hockey before going to play at the collegiate level and a popular option among serious hockey players.
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As he had done his whole life, James thrived. He became the first rookie captain in the league's history, and at the end of the season, his USHL coach asked him to decommit from the small D1 university. He wanted to stay for another year to gain a stronger interest from bigger schools. James had already begun catching the eyes of schools like Notre Dame, Miami (OH), and Michigan because of his stellar performance.
However, after remembering his world-class visit and to honor his value of commitment, James decided to stick to his original plan and go to the small D1 university. But early on, James began to realize that not everything was as it seemed on his initial visit–instead, he was engulfed in a community of spite, misdirection, and abuse. The coach berated his players continuously, and he also messed with them mentally, especially the upperclassmen. Players were encouraged to miss class and instead focus on hockey and girls. There were countless NCAA infractions of illegal practices and lift sessions. The players were playing with the knowledge that if they were caught, there would be severe repercussions.
While James played a lot his first year, it all went downhill after that. As a sophomore, he politely went into his assistant coach's office and questioned his decision. James did not dress for the following ten games. When he gained the courage to call his coaches out on this again, he didn't play in games indefinitely. His confidence was shattered, and he struggled with trusting the coaches issues he obtained because of his treatment.
James' hockey career, however, does have a happy ending as he went on to play two years of pro hockey before pursuing a career in finance where he is now incredibly successful. But his story of deception goes to show that there are many factors that go into a recruiting decision. Be sure you're weighing all the pros and cons.
*Name changed for anonymity
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* Originally published on February 14, 2023, by 2aDays Staff
