On February 6, high school athletes across the country started to fulfill their dreams as they announced their commitment to the college they are attending for sports. This day, known as National Signing Day, is celebrated across the country by many young adults and their families because they have been waiting to commit to a college to play the sport they love. This is especially big for college football as fans await to see where some of the top recruits are going to play.

At the school there are many different athletes that committed to colleges this past month. These athletes were able to celebrate their achievements with their friends, families and the people who have assisted them throughout their journey to college athletics. Senior Lacey McCormack is committed to the University of Virginia for soccer and is thrilled for the opportunity to play there.

“I have always wanted to go there since I was little and the coach was the perfect fit for me. I just really liked the school academically and sports wise,” McCormack said.

Another senior, Emma Hutchinson, is committed to Kenyon College for lacrosse. The school offered her everything she wanted for her education and athletic career.

“I wanted to go to a small liberal arts school that also had a focus on sports and [Kenyon] was just a really good fit,” Hutchinson said.

These athletes have been committing time for years to these sports and are being rewarded with amazing opportunities. They are being rewarded for all of the time, effort and hard work that they put in for their athletics.

“I’ve played since I was in third grade and it’s always been a dream of mine to play in college so I’ve just been working at it since elementary school,” McCormack said.

“I never thought that I was going to play in college, but when I was a sophomore I started really liking lacrosse more and [wanted] to take it to the next level and play in a more competitive environment,” Hutchinson said.

They have also reminisced on their experiences playing sports for the school and how they have grown during these experiences.

“The social aspect is the best part for me and it’s awesome to play for your school and represent [the school],”McCormack said.

“It is really great to meet people [in sports] that you wouldn’t normally hang out with and bond over how much you like that sport,” Hutchinson said.

Just because someone is going to college for sports for sports does not mean that they are not academically focused. The athletes at the school take academics and athletics into account when making the decision on where to attend.

“I definitely want to be getting the best education possible so that was definitely a key reason why I chose UVA to play,” McCormack said.

“It was really important to me that the school would have the majors that I’m interested in and that they would have a supportive faculty that’s also supportive to student athletes,” Hutchinson said.

Lastly, making the decision on National Signing Day was very special to the all of the athletes who made their commitment in front people they care for.

“That was really exciting … and then sharing it with your friends, family and peers really makes it feel more real,” McCormack said.

”It makes it feel really official. I committed in August and it didn’t feel official until [now]. I was announcing it in front of my friends and family, and it was nice to thank the people that had been supporting me through the process,” Hutchinson said.

National Signing Day is celebrated across the country and is a big deal for student-athletes everywhere. It is amazing to see student-athletes across the country fulfill their dreams by dedicating themselves to a college where they have the opportunity to play the sport they love.