THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 12, 1996 TAG: 9601120043
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROSS HOFFMAN, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
IN THE WORLD of college athletics, the recruitment of high school athletes plays a vital role and Hampton Roads is known to college scouts as a hot spot for bright new talent.
In recent decades, athletes like J.R. Reid, Hope Spivey, D.J. Dozier, Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker, Curtis Strange and Alonzo Mourning have emerged from this area.
In exchange for their talent, colleges offer outstanding high school athletes recognition and sometimes even fame. But the recruitment process can take a toll on high school hopefuls. While balancing schoolwork and a social life, athletes must also deal with incessant phone calls, letters, meetings, and, on top of it all, a demanding sports season where there is more pressure to perform - to excel - in every game.
``Getting recruited certainly made me get my priorities straight,'' said Stuart Evans, a former tennis standout and a 1994 graduate of Norfolk's Maury High School. ``After tennis and schoolwork, I didn't have much time for everything else.''
Stuart was first approached by Division I college coaches in the fall of his junior year. He did not begin making visits to schools until one year later.
``I was surprised at the difference between high school and college tennis,'' he said. ``It was all at a different level - the concentration, the playing, just about everything.''
From the start of his junior year, Stuart was forced to make some sacrifices in order to accommodate a busier and more stressful tennis schedule. His grades slipped a bit during the season, from March through May. Many weekends, including Friday and Saturday nights, were spent at tennis tournaments as far away as Maryland and South Carolina. Because he advanced into state competition during his sophomore, junior and senior years, the season extended into early June and almost until exams.
On the tennis court, Stuart had to deal with the extra pressure that comes with being an experienced team leader. And, of course, a cast of college coaches were always on hand to monitor him through his matches and tournaments.
However, grades still came first. ``Eventually, it wasn't really a question of playing tennis but keeping up with the schoolwork. I just had to take care of things one at a time,'' he said.
``I was fairly lucky in that I had help along the way. Sometimes you just get so annoyed and tired with it, you need a little reassurance.'' Throughout his recruitment, Stuart received support from his family and his coach, John Brinkman.
Midway through his senior year, with the guidance of Brinkman, Stuart committed to Robert Morris University near Pittsburgh. He was granted a full scholarship, or a ``full ride'' as it is commonly referred to in college athletics. He has since transferred to Radford University where he is receiving a partial scholarship.
Jessica Barney has had somewhat of a different experience as a senior captain for the 10-time state champion Cox field hockey team, which just won its seventh consecutive state title in mid-November. Barney started receiving letters from Division I, II, and III schools, among them Harvard University, James Madison University and Wake Forest University, during December of her junior year.
At first I hardly believed it,'' she said of the beginning of the courtship. ``I thought that it was weird that teams would start sending me letters.''
She often spent half of her summers at camps and national tournaments that were attended by other high school standouts. Jessica's participation at summer camps drew more attention from college scouts than any other of her activities. After contracting the schools she was most interested in, she and the schools began corresponding. After a year and a half of being recruited, she has narrowed her list to two schools - James Madison and Wake Forest.
As a senior co-captain of a team that seemed to break another record every time it took the field, Jessica and her teammates were charged with pulling out yet another stellar season while balancing on the pedestal a former team brought home to Cox seven years earlier.
``There was always enough pressure to deal with without knowing that college coaches were around,'' Jessica said.
Somewhat surprisingly, Jessica was not forced to make many sacrifices during field hockey season. Because she operated on a very strict schedule during the season, she was very diligent with her schoolwork and rarely suffered academically. Also, since so many of her friends played beside her on the field, she did not miss them, but rather spent even more time with them.
Jessica believes that the recruiting process was more strenuous for the coaches than it was for her. ``Our coaches were always keeping in close touch with the colleges,'' she said, adding that ``they were the ones most involved.''
Jessica will most likely receive a partial scholarship from whichever college - Wake Forest or JMU - she chooses to attend.
``I know I won't base my decision on which school has the best field hockey program,'' she said. ``I understand that academics come before everything else, but also that college athletics will be a great part of my college career.'' ILLUSTRATION: Ross Hoffman is a junior at Maury High. by CNB