Every year comes with a new generation of talented, collegiate-level athletes making the tough decision of what schools to meet with and which school is the ideal commitment. 

Kathy Stallkamp, one of Tualatin High School’s (TuHS) college and career counselors, said, “The big thing is that you’re playing a sport at a college level, and that requires more than just studying academics. Playing at a college level is more competitive. Think about when you played at elementary, middle and then high school; the competition gets a little bit more fierce and the demands of the sport also increase.”

The increased level of play in college can actually have a large impact on students while they are in the process of taking a step back and viewing everything that goes into sports commitments as a whole. 

“When you play at a college level, there is a lot more travel involved,” Stallkamp said. “If you think about the league we’re in, all of the traveling can be done in a day. When you are playing at the college level, you may have to fly or take a bus just to get to the sporting event. And then at the same time as that is happening, academically, it’s more challenging. So figuring how to balance those two areas, the increase of effort and increase of time commitment is hard.” 

Many students can find college commitments nerve-wracking.

 “My commitment process was really fun, actually,” TuHS graduate Elizabeth Graham said. “I got in contact with coaches right after my junior year, and after lots of phone calls, we planned some official visits. I visited mainly West Coast schools, and Cornell was my only East Coast option. After visiting, I just decided Cornell was the best option and then committed!”

Graham committed to Cornell University for track and field after graduating last spring. She was one of the big contributors to the TuHS team winning the 2023 OSAA girls’ state championship. 

“I’d tell little me that I should trust my gut. After I committed, I honestly thought I’d made the wrong decision because I absolutely loved the University of Washington, too. It was the hardest decision I’ve made in my life, but I was very worried about whether I’d made the right decision, and also the fact that Cornell was across the country. My fears were valid, but seeing where I am now, I definitely made the right choice and I love it here!”

Decision-making is one of the most challenging parts of junior and senior year. 

Another TuHS student, Nolan Keeney, committed to Brigham Young University (BYU) for football. 

“For me, seeing a good school first was most important to me,” Keeney said. “Something that’s going to set me up with a good education for the next four years and a place that seems to have a good morale and coaching staff that care about their players.”