Fall Signing Day did not disappoint for Kingwood High School. Eight students signed this fall across the board, covering baseball, softball, swimming, and track and field. Just over 7% of high school student-athletes (1 in 14) advance to play at the next level in college. That percentage goes down to less than 2% who play at NCAA Division I schools. As you can see, the odds are slim for most high school students.

This day comes with excitement and pure joy for the student-athlete and their family that has walked alongside them daily at every game or practice over the years. This day is truly a culmination of all the hard work and dedication that goes into playing a sport at this level. This is also a binding agreement to a college or university and starts the journey into the next phase of collegiate sports.

Meet a few of our Class of 2024 recruited athletes and hear their stories.

We were able to connect with some of the Class of 2024 athletes to learn what kept them going on the journey to college sports and hear what advice they would give to students and peers coming up behind them in their sport. We contacted all of our athletes and heard back from a few, whom we will highlight below.

Eddie Jin – University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

“The absolute number one thing that kept me going on my journey to college sports was just my love for the sport. I love being dedicated to it, and I thank the people that surround me that helped guide me on this journey. The key advice I would give would be to stay disciplined. Some practices will be terrible and there is no motivation to work. But that’s inevitable. It’s how hard you are willing to work when you don’t want to that makes you great. Another more controversial piece of advice – Voice your opinion to your coaches, talk about your belief in them, the good and the bad. Work through things. If it happens that things don’t work out with the coach, maybe it isn’t meant to be. Move on and find a new one that better suits you.” – Eddie Jin, Senior Class of 2024, Kingwood Swim & Dive

Logan Harris – McLennan Community College

“As long as I can remember, playing baseball at the next level has been my biggest goal.  My coaches, family and friends have helped, supported and challenged me so much to reach and exceed my goals. They did this by consistently pushing me past my limits and to never give up.

One of the biggest things that has kept me going is remembering and reflecting on my younger self and making the younger me proud of each accomplishment.

Some advice I would give to younger players is to know that someone is always watching both on and off the field. Take every second of practice seriously. Go to the weight room before you get too far behind.  Most importantly, never give up on your dreams and goals.” – Logan Harris, Senior Class of 2024, Kingwood Baseball

Lizzie Watson – Texas A&M University

“What keeps me going during this journeyis my teammates and coaches from high school and club swimming. Each day I get to swim with my best friends while doing something I love. My best piece of advice would be to enjoy the sport as much as you can and have fun with it because the times I have been the most successful were when I was just having fun and enjoying my meet.” – Lizzie Watson, Senior Class of 2024, Kingwood Swim & Dive

 

Ava Jolley – University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

“I have played softball since I was eight years old and have played year round since I was 10. There were many times I wanted to quit or try another sport, but I could never make the final decision to leave. Although cliche, the love of the game is truly what kept me going. I’ve had the dream to play in college since I was young and I couldn’t believe when that dream became a reality. A piece of advice I would give to younger players would be to trust that God has a plan for you to prosper, regardless of whether you play in college or not. God loves us and knows the desires of our heart. Be consistent in your practice, humble in your mind, faithful in your heart, and you will end up exactly where you’re supposed to.” – Ava Jolley

 

Ava Casperson – Rice University

“The main thing that kept me swimming for so long is my coaches and friends. They motivate me everyday to keep going even when it gets difficult. They also make practice more fun! A piece of advice I would give to people who will decide to do swimming after me is to not give up when it gets hard. Life will give you many obstacles but it’s so important that you continue to work your hardest every day.” – Ava Casperson, Senior Class of 2024, Kingwood Swim & Dive

Nita Koom-Dadzie – University of Texas

“I would definitely say what keep me going was my determination to become a better version of myself. I’m a highly critical person of myself (in which some cases it’s good and others…it gets a little too much) but nevertheless I’m  always trying to fix technical things here and there to improve my overall craft. In addition, it was the immense love for my sport and wanting to make me, my family, and my coaches proud. Some advice I would give to my peers is that (1) you have to want it, you can’t let somebody else want it for you because you are the only one that work for it; (2) Don’t be too hard on yourself because then you will miss the moment.” – Nita Koom-Dadzie, Senior Class of 2024, Kingwood Track & Field

Each story is different and unique as each of our student-athletes reflected back on their journeys thus far and what kept them going. Kingwood Swimming and Track has consistently placed student-athletes in the top-tier schools for swim and academics, and this year did not disappoint. We asked some of our coaches to reflect on their programs and the student-athletes that have signed thus far for this year’s senior Class of 2024. Here is a response reflecting on their amazing programs and student-athletes.

“I think the difference maker for Kingwood track is that we have a lot of girls who take the sport very seriously and have a desire to be successful so they work extremely hard to accomplish their goals. Nita Koom-Dadzie is a team leader, she encourages her teammates every day. She leads by example and by having a great work ethic. She is the same off the track. She is well-rounded, and is very involved in school organizations like student council. Her personality and positive attitude is infectious. She is just a great human.” – Coach Jeremiah Dye

There have been many great athletes along the way, but watching Michael Phelps commit to competing every time he came out to the pool over the years has been inspiring for young swimmers who look up to him. In honor of our swim class above, we will leave you with a Michael Phelps’ quote.

“I wouldn’t say anything is impossible. I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and put the work and time into it. ” – Michael Phelps