With the summer coming to a close, colleges are completing their recruiting procedures that take place every year.  Although the search for talent is a continuous process, colleges must make their final decisions by the fall, and aspiring athletes must give their best effort if they wish to be successful.  The Current had the opportunity to sit down with two of Ossining’s many adept student-athletes, Abigail Squirrel and Sean Trenholm.  We were able to ask them a few questions about the process.

What’s your name?

Abby:  Abigail Squirrell

Sean: Sean Trenholm

What school did you commit to, and for what sport?

Abby:  Marquette University for Women’s lacrosse

Sean:  Binghamton, Baseball.

What attracted you to the school that you chose, did you have any other prospective schools?

Abby:  I looked at a handful of schools that had the city feel to it such as Saint Joseph’s, American, Drexel and Marquette. I was able to narrow it down to Marquette and Drexel, but in the end I loved MU. It has the city feel but it isn’t overwhelming. The city of Milwaukee is beautiful! I also loved the team and coaches

Sean:  Binghamton is a great academic school, has a beautiful campus, and the baseball program is a great fit for me. I was looking at other schools in the America East conference, Maac conference, and Atlantic 10 conference.

Explain a little but about the recruiting process, what did you have to do?

Abby:  The summer is when the recruiting process is at its high. So before every major tournament my lacrosse coach and I would have a chat about what schools to email so that they could come and watch me play. It was necessary for me to play hard and give it my all every game because anyone could be watching. During the off season I also sent out my basketball highlight film to any of the schools that I really liked, just so they could get an idea of my athletic skills.

Sean:  The recruiting process was a great experience, although a bit stressful at times. Prior to July 1st of junior year, the NCAA prohibits coaches from calling or texting players so in a lot of cases, the recruiter will tell the coach of the player to call him or her so that they can talk. Then after July 1st, coaches are allowed to call players and interact in person.

What obstacles did you have to overcome in order to achieve this?

Abby:  It’s an emotional roller coaster. You’re constantly being judged and watched. So it is hard to make sure I’m working my hardest all the time. Another obstacle I’ve had to overcome is probably being “turned down” by coaches. Reaching out to them and then having them not be interested is always hurtful.

Sean:  Prior to my junior year, I tore my labrum in my shoulder which caused pain whenever I would throw. I had surgery in November of that year and went through a 5 month recovery process, including physical therapy 3 times a week. I was cleared to play all sports again in April of junior year, causing me to miss most of the baseball season.

Who supported you the most in your athletic career and how?

Abby:  My parents of course. The recruiting process is extremely stressful, so always having them there for me meant a lot. It’s great knowing they supported all of my decisions every step of the way. As well as my brother for coming to a lot of my tournaments and games, when I know it was the last place he wanted to be. My club lacrosse coach Jackie Proch was also super helpful contacting coaches for me and telling them they had to come watch me play. She invested a lot of her time this past year to help me. And coach Ricci and Coach Leville for always pushing me to my fullest potential and always encouraging me.

Sean:  My parents have always supported me in every sport I played growing up. They went to many of the games and helped me practice whenever they could. My grandma continues to go to almost every game of mine, cheering, yelling, and giving me constructive criticism whenever she could. Playing with my older brothers growing up benefitted me in many ways since they were bigger, better, and stronger than I was.

As a student-athlete yourself, how do you suggest staying on top of your school work to others?

Abby:  Staying on top of your school work is extremely important, especially if you’re looking to play sports in college. Coaches do look at your grades and sometimes it comes down between two players competing for a spot. The coach may end up taking the player with the better grades even if she isn’t the better player.

Sean:  School work is always the first priority when being a student-athlete. Sometimes I would come late for practice when I had to stay after school with a teacher to help me in a certain subject. There are some nights throughout the year where I am up later than usual doing homework, projects, etc. because I got home late from a game or practice. There has to be a certain balance of time, where you can still excel in the sport but also maintain a good GPA and get your school work done.

Do you have a favorite athlete that inspires you?

Abby:  Professional players as well as coaches and teammates inspire me to play hard and achieve for the team.

Sean:  I do not have one athlete in particular that inspires me but there are many great role models in sports at all levels.

What is your advice to athletes that also wish to commit to a school for a sport?

Abby:  Make sure you go to a school you absolutely love. Take sports out of the picture, and make sure you’re going to be happy there, god forbid something happens. And don’t let others get inside your head when you are finalizing your decision. Only your opinion matters.

Sean:   Work hard in the classroom as well as on the field.

How do you plan on representing OHS at the school you attend?

Abby:  I’m going to rock all my Ossining gear whenever I get a chance! Everyone at Marquette will know I attended OHS

Sean: I’m going to display the honorable sportsmanship and respect that I learned at OHS.

The Current wishes Abby and Sean luck as they represent Ossining High School in their respective colleges!