Athletic recruitment process

Centennial Charger running back Hayden Deacon is one of the top high school football players in the entire Bay of Quinte Region. He also plays competitively for the Kingston Grenadiers Football Club.

Thousands of students all over Canada are faced with the tough decision of choosing where they want to go to pursue their education. Many of these students play sports throughout their lifetime, either competitively or for fun. Every year a select few of these athletes will have the chance at continuing their athetic endevours while pursuing a post-secondary education.

Reporter Andrew Mendler takes a look at the athletic recruitment process in Ontario to see if it is a viable option for high school students to obtain a post-secondary degree.

Coaches, athletic directors and players all tell their sides of an interesting process that happens all across North America.

The Loyalist College athletic department is hard at work every year trying to recruit the top athletes to play for the school. This year they hit the jackpot, reeling in one of the top female basketball players in the region, in forward Jenni Thompson.

Jenni Thompson leads the Loyalist Lancers this season in points per game with 14.9. (Photo courtesy of Matt Kerr)

After taking to several coaches and athletic directors at post-secondary institutions throughout the region I realized that no two schools in the country recruit the same way. All schools have a different way of doing things when it comes to scouting, contacting and enticing potential athletes to come to their school. The college process is very different that the University process in that they are all looking for different types of players to fill their teams.

The variety of people I have talked over my time compiling information for this site has allowed me to see many different sides to recruiting. So I decided to offer my thoughts and opinions by analysing the process and summarizing the similarities and differences across eastern Ontario.