Were you ever interested in knowing how college athletes got accepted into their dream school? Did they magically get an offer to play Division 1 or did they go through various steps to achieve their goal? After interviewing one of our top athletes at Wilcox High School, here’s what they have to say about their rigorous sport schedule and planning for the future in order to play the sport they’re passionate about in college.

Viet-Thy Tran, a senior at Wilcox High School, has recently verbally committed to play Division 1 soccer at UC Davis. Tran has been playing soccer for over ten years and currently plays for the club team FC Bay Area Surf. She also played a year up with the 2004 age group, a team that won three national championships in a row. 

So, how did soccer star Tran get into UC Davis? What do student athletes do in the process of getting recruited? When asking Tran what made her process to UC Davis most successful she stated, “Definitely emailing the coaches and showing schools that you are interested in them. Also, making sure that you constantly keep in touch with the coaches. Once you understand what you want you can give that school your full attention.” Emailing college coaches is important in order to keep in touch with them and show them that you want to be a part of their program. She also added that it is important to not only communicate with the coaches but the players who are currently on the team as well, so that they can give you a perspective on the student life and what it’s like to go to school while playing a sport. 

Tran’s advice to future student athletes who want to play their college sport is, “It’s a big commitment so make sure you’re ready to commit to it- it’s a long process. Don’t be discouraged if someone has committed and you haven’t because the timeline for every athlete varies. It’s a lot about connections so if you have connections that helps a lot. Do your best at showcases…  and oh, make a good highlight video for yourself.” 

Academic-wise , she explains that because she is verbally committed, she is less stressed because she isn’t in the same boat as her peers, who are worried about common apps and applications. However, soccer-wise she is still working and on her toes. She stated, “You think you’re a big shot now, but when you go to college everyone is good, and you’re playing against girls that are four years older than you. So, from now until I get into college and throughout college, I know that I’m going to have to work really hard just for a starting spot, or even for minutes.” Tran explains that the level of intensity of the sport will only increase getting into college.

Despite the constant hard work that one has to go through, Tran shows that if one truly wants it, then they can achieve their goal of playing at a college level. She shows that one has to constantly stay in contact with coaches, advocate for themselves, and continue to work hard before college because nothing comes for free.