The Division I recruiting process for the NCAA is often nebulous and always challenging.

Athletes train and practice for their entire lives in order to play at such an elite level. Not many of them are given the chance to play a Division I sport, but when they are it validates their years of hard work and dedication.

GETTING AN OFFER

The age at which students are recruited has recently decreased. Committing to a university as a sophomore used to be a fantasy, but it’s become more common these days. Sophomore Maxim Manyak is one of the youngest-ever student athletes at Oak Park High School committed to a Division I university.

Manyak received offers from University of North Carolina, Syracuse University and Jacksonville University, as well as other Division I universities. He recently committed, and is set to play lacrosse for the University of Notre Dame come fall 2019.

“I picked Notre Dame because I felt that, for me, it was the whole package,” Manyak said. “Academically, it is a prestigious university and the lacrosse speaks for itself.”

Manyak said it was important for him to find an academically strong school to ensure he can “succeed after college.”

“Notre Dame has all that and more. The campus is beautiful and the school has a great environment. The coaches are incredible, and the athletic facilities are unbelievable,” Manyak said. “Notre Dame plays with the best of the best in the country and it has always been my dream to play at that level.”

The recruiting process is very lengthy and requires lots of hard work, according to Manyak. He is glad to no longer feel the pressure of trying to commit to a university.

“Honestly, it takes a lot of pressure off my shoulders, and it’s the best feeling ever. Trying to get recruited and going to all these different showcases and tournaments is very stressful. Especially when there is a coach you are trying to impress watching on the sideline,” Manyak said.

But despite the relief, Manyak said he wouldn’t let himself become complacent.

“Now I am glad that I will be able to focus on the parts of my game that I need to work on, rather than trying to get recruited. That will help my game … and it gives me time to focus more on school,” Manyak said. “I have to train much harder athletically, but that is what I signed up for and I can’t wait to get started. I’ve wanted this since before I started playing lacrosse and the fact that my dream is finally becoming a reality is an unexplainable feeling.”

Some young athletes question the college recruiting process. They do not understand what it entails or how to get attention from scouts and colleges. Manyak advises students to become more attractive to coaches by constantly refining their sport, including in their “fundamentals and sports IQ.”

“My best advice is to go as hard as you possibly can every time you step foot on a field, whether it be a game, team practice, or just messing around in your backyard,” Manyak said. “Work on your weaknesses and your strengths in your sport. Also watch as many videos and games of the sport you play as possible and be coachable.”

For athletes, committing to a college is an active process. Students must not only practice, Manyak said, but also constantly show interest in prospective universities.

“Doing all that, and putting in the effort to get recruited through sending emails and flying back east, you will get there,” Manyak said.

SELECTING A COLLEGE

Another athlete, senior Annette Goulak, is ranked among the best female tennis players locally and nationwide: No. 23 in the country and the eighth best in California. The Tennis Recruiting Network rated her a five-star athlete.

Goulak verbally committed to Georgia University last year, despite getting offers from the University of Berkley, California, the University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University, and many other Division I programs.

“I committed to Georgia because I like the team, I love the coaches, and they have a really good tennis program and I thought that the program they had there would [be] best for me to improve and become the best tennis player that I can be,” Goulak said.

And despite the attractiveness of an initial offer, Goulak said she advises students to examine all available options.

“Once you start talking to coaches, you have to be yourself and tell them what you want,” Goulak said. “If they don’t want [what] you want or can’t provide what you want, you have to broaden your options and look around because you have to put yourself first, not the coaches’ needs first.”

SHAPING UP FOR DIVISION I

Only a handful of high school athletes go on to play at the collegiate level, and even fewer play Division I in the NCAA. This leaves many athletes questioning what it takes to play at the top level.

Chester Castellaw, a Crespi Carmelite alumnus and former California State University, Northridge soccer player, has first-hand experience on playing at the highest collegiate level in the country.

According to Top Drawer Soccer, Castellaw is rated a four-star soccer player. He ranked among the top 150 players of his class of 2015 during high school, placed in the 2015 Boys IMG Academy 150 Players Pool.

When he was originally being recruited in high school, he received offers from Cal Poly Pomona, Florida State University, Texas A&M, University of Michigan and the Universities of California at Berkeley and Santa Barbara.

“I couldn’t go to those schools because my grades were just never good enough,” Castellaw said.

Castellaw now urges the importance of academics for student athletes, reminding that they are students first and athletes second. Although Castellaw did not attend his first choice school, he is still very knowledgeable about the requirements of Division I athletics.

“There are going to be tons of moments and periods where you will deeply feel like you want to quit. You must work even harder during those times; you want to become the best that you can be,” Castellaw said. “Becoming complacent is very easy to do when you feel you’ve [been] working your butt off.”

Castellaw has advice for athletes entering the recruiting process or hoping to be recruited.

“You must be relentless with everything you do. You must work extra hours by yourself, doing things your teammates are not doing. Take care of your body, eat right, get enough sleep and don’t stop working. That is the formula,” Castellaw said.