As Covid-19 is keeping San Luis Obispo High School students and athletes home for going on two months, athletes are missing out on the opportunity to compete and become scouted by schools all over the states to play in college. Expressions decided to reach out to SLOHS athletes who are planning to play a sport in college. 

Expressions: Are you planning on playing a sport in college? If so, what sport and where would you like to play?

Junior Shaylee Grimm: Yes I am, I am planning on running cross country & track and right now I’m not totally sure about where but I’ve been in contact with coaches from out of state and in state. 

Junior Kallan Torell: Yes, Basketball is my focus right now, coronavirus has been a huge setback for me and other players.

Junior Thomas Cole: Yes I plan on playing college football. I am not sure where yet. 

Expressions: How has Covid-19 affected your opportunity to be scouted and recruited by colleges for athletics?

Grimm:  It’s affected me because Junior year for track is a really important year for everyone that wants to run in college and it has also taken away my opportunities to go meet with coaches or visit more schools before next year. 

Torell: Spring and summer are the times when college coaches reach out to players, set up meetings and visits, and see players on the court. Many tournaments have been cancelled due to coronavirus so a lot of my recruiting time for my junior year is gone, making it really difficult to be seen by coaches and get offers. 

Cole: I was lucky enough to be found before the shutdown. But coaches would normally come to school to visit and watch practice which is no longer a possibility. Everything has moved to phone calls. 

Expressions: How have you been training for your sport and getting ready for college recruitment?

Grimm:  Yes I have been training still but not as intense since I won’t be racing for a while. 

Torell: With all the gyms closed, it is hard to get any time on the court and I am left with practicing on an outdoor hoop which I have. Obviously, I am missing the weight room and conditioning time I’d have with the football and pre-season basketball programs so I am making up for that with daily weightlifting and running on trails by my house.

Cole: I have been training a lot with all the extra time. Sprints, drills, and lifting every day. I should come out of quarantine in the best shape of my life. 

Expressions: Have you been scouted by any colleges if so which ones?

Grimm:  I have been contacted by Berkley, Fresno, UCSD, UCI, Adams state, Airforce academy, Sacramento state, & a few more. 

Torell: I’ve been contacting and staying in touch with a few coaches during quarantine, but visits and college camps are cancelled so a big part of my recruitment is missing. 

Cole: I currently hold 15 offers, Arizona State University, Cal Poly, Oregon State, Washington State, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Utah, CAL Berkeley, Kansas State, Princeton, Yale, Michigan State, University of Arizona, Iowa State, Northern Arizona University and UCLA. 

Expressions: What are your goals in the future for playing your sport?

Grimm:  My goal is to continue my running career throughout college and basically just see how fast I can get and once college is over I’ll stop racing and just keep running because it’s something I love.

Torell: My future goals for playing basketball in the future are all about the education I’d receive. It’d be a blessing to be able to get a scholarship and to go to school for free. My college choice will not only be based on the athletics program, but also the level of education available for me at the school. 

Cole: I’m going to be the best college player I can be. Then hopefully go into the National Football League.