Pennridge High School offers 19 different sports competed by girls, boys, coed, and unified teams. Of these teams, Pennridge has over 10 senior athletes continuing to play their sport in college in all divisions. Around 2% of high school athletes get the opportunity to play collegiate sports, and Pennridge is proud to support our athletes in their next steps. Division I and Division II schools give large scholarships to their student-athletes. Around $2.7 billion in athletic scholarships are awarded to over 150,000 student-athletes competing at a collegiate level. In order to participate, both in high school and college, you must also keep your grades up. The recruitment process is not easy. You need to send out emails to colleges, go to showcases and camps, all while keeping in contact with recruiters.
Molly Fannon, a Pennridge senior, is committed to Muhlenberg for soccer. When describing her recruiting process, she said, “I feel like it was the hardest thing I’ve had to do. It’s a lot of work and can be very discouraging. I got hurt in my junior year and didn’t play all of last year, and junior year is where you get a timeline for recruitment. When I came back in June, I only had two months to get myself ready before schools closed their rosters.” In addition to getting recruited, Molly mentioned some of the things she was looking for in a school. She wanted a school that was able to balance a good academic and social scene, also noting that the coaches are also a very important part of the search. At Pennridge, Kyle Beller has been coaching the football team for three years now. He helps his players get recruited by talking to coaches and players, and helping them find camps at schools that are a good fit for them. He has many one-on-one meetings with players, whether it’s assessing their skills on the field or off the field, or with schoolwork. These meetings help ensure the entire team is successful and is getting all the advice it may need. His advice to his players about collegiate football is, “First off, find the right fit. Understand that college is a little bit different. It’s a little bit more of a job. Understand the time commitment. There are early morning lifts and practices, mandatory study halls, individual meetings, team meetings, and special team meetings, so you have to love it. Just know that there is a more business side to it. If you love it, you’re gonna do it.”
As senior athletes transition into college sports, they carry with them not only the skills earned over years of dedication but also the resilience and passion that define their athletic journeys. Their entry into collegiate athletics marks a new chapter filled with challenges and opportunities, where they will continue to grow both on and off the field. These athletes embody the spirit of ambition and perseverance, inspiring future generations to pursue their dreams with equal determination.
