Zaire Harrel: Basketball, University of Missouri- Kansas City 

Zaire has been playing basketball for as long as she can remember. She is very much in her element on the court, where she especially shines on the defensive position. For her, the process of hard work and devotion to her sport as a player and subsequent improvement-  The love for her sport runs in her family, inspired by her older brothers who also have very successful basketball careers. Her mother and coaches have also been a very significant source of support. When Zaire was in middle school, she started playing for select teams. In her high school career, she plays for the MICDS team in addition to the Midwest United and Phenom AAU club teams. She grew up admiring the college and professional basketball players she saw on T.V., and knew she wanted to be like them when she was older. While her talent was apparent to all who have seen her play, Zaire explained that women’s basketball is one of the most difficult Division I sports to get recruited for, saying, “It can be very frustrating because it never goes the way you want it to.” Despite the challenge, she remained patient and continued putting in hard work while talking to different coaches and schools. Zaire also noted that a significant part of recruitment is being able to self-promote, especially through social media, something relatively new to students looking for a spot at a D1 school. Last June, she attended the UMKC’s rigorous basketball camp among other prestigious college-run camps. She quickly recognized how well she clicked with the UMKC coaches and the campus environment. Academics weighed an equal part in the decision as well; UMKC’s strong political science program, which she plans to major in, was another attracting factor for Zaire. When asked what advice she would give others wanting to pursue basketball in college, she said the most important thing to be patient, focus on yourself, and remember is to find a school that’s a good fit for you specifically. The recruitment process can cause players to feel pressure from the timelines of teammates also looking to commit; it is important to appreciate your opportunities and offers as something completely separate from the opportunities and offers received by others, and play your own game. Another sage piece of advice she gave is to avoid committing to a college to keep up with appearances or letting others’ opinions interfere with what you actually want- “If you commit to a college because other people want you to go there, you’re not going to college for yourself, you’re going to college for the title of playing basketball at a D1 school,” she explained. UMKC is such a good fit because it is a school that she loved in addition to being recruited to play for the D1 Roos.

Brecken Calcari: Field Hockey, University of New Hampshire 

Brecken started playing field hockey in first grade, and immediately fell in love with sport and the team atmosphere. She enjoyed playing with her older sister, Reagan Calcari ‘20, who along with her coaches and teammates, has been an inspiration for her in her sport. When Brecken was in eighth grade, it became clear to her that she wanted to pursue field hockey in college, saying “I couldn’t imagine not playing.” While Reagan went through the recruitment process around the same time, Brecken watched her older sister visit different campus and teams. Brecken went with her to tour campuses, which allowed her to get a good idea of what kind of a college feel she liked. Soon after, Reagan committed to the University of New Hampshire, and when Brecken visited the campus, she, too, fell in love. “I loved it,” she said in her interview. “It was the perfect school and I went to a camp there over the summer and the coaches were like ‘we would love to have sisters on the team!’” The UNH coaches began recruiting Brecken, and having cliqued with the school and team, she decided that it was without a doubt the place she wanted to be. All of the pieces fell into place and “It worked out really well,” she explained. When asked what advice she would give to others wanting to pursue field hockey in college is to check in with yourself and make sure that if you weren’t playing for their team, you would still want to go to that school. Know what kind of a college experience you want and ensure that the schools you are committing to meet this criteria.

Brandon Mitchell-Day: Basketball, Dartmouth University 

Brandon has been playing basketball for over ten years, playing for both MICDS and AAU club basketball, which has brought him to travel around Missouri and out of state to games in Indiana and Texas. He began gaining increasing recognition for his talent in middle school and became interested in playing college basketball when he was a sophomore. While the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to play in the AAU summer season his sophomore year, he came back as strong as ever in his junior year, when he began getting offers from colleges. He admitted that the college process was initially overwhelming, having to coordinate calls, meetings, and visits with different coaches and school representatives. Having to coordinate the MICDS upperclassman academic workload and basketball season in addition to the college search was no easy task, but Brandon notes the support of his parents, grandparents, and coaches as a guiding factor that has helped him along the way. Brandon chose Dartmouth for it’s combination of outstanding athletics and academic opportunities which will set him up for a successful college and graduate future. When asked what advice he would offer to others interested in playing basketball at the collegiate level, he said to put in the work, and trust the process. Dedication and perseverance will pay off, and improvement will catch the attention of coaches and recruiters.