On January 19, 2025, junior lacrosse attacker Karsyn Siegert announced her commitment to further her academic and athletic career in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II level at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida.
Siegert immediately fell in love with Flagler and all of the opportunities that awaited her there. The small school and coastal environment fit Siegert’s wants for a personal and less overwhelming campus.
“I loved the mentality and expectations that the coaches had for the team, and all of the people that I met there were so welcoming,” Siegert noted.
Siegert is grateful for her friends, family, coaches and faith that helped her through her recruiting process. Having a strong support system during her recruitment made a difficult process more positive for Siegert.
Part of the recruitment process for athletes is reaching out to colleges and coaches they are interested in playing at.
“The most difficult part for me was staying positive when I didn’t get responses,” Siegert shared. “After sending so many emails, it’s hard to get rejected and to not hear back from coaches.”
Experiencing rejection was difficult, but Siegert continued to push through and work hard in her downtime to continue to reach her goals. Siegert took lessons outside of practice and spent her time sending emails to coaches while keeping up with her academic commitments.
“In the moment, it is hard to miss out on these things, but you have to prioritize what is most important to you,” Siegert explained.
Siegert put in the extra work and effort to reach her overall goal of committing to a college she knew she would love. Feeling pressure when others began to commit was a struggle for Siegert, but she found clubs and environments such as Young Life (her church group organization) and Bible studies with friends to help ease her mind.
“I started the recruiting process later, so I felt a lot of pressure when I saw so many other girls committing before me,” Siegert said. “I focused on trusting God’s plan and being patient, because I knew there would be an opportunity that was right for me.”
Siegert shared some advice for athletes at any stage of their recruiting process, and she hopes to guide underclassmen and other athletes to manage stress and achieve their goals during this pivotal time.
“My biggest piece of advice would be that you are your own person,” Siegert shared. “You have your own timeline, goals and dreams, so don’t compare your process to anyone else’s.”
