Passion to pressure

October 1, 2026 Ivy Ruberg, an ECNL soccer player playing the all at her feet during a soccer game When most athletes start a sport, no college scouts are watching, there’s no starting positions to fight for, and no statistics to obsess over. There is just a ball, a field, a court, or a pool and a passion. But somewhere between childhood practices and competitive high school sports, “I want to play” becomes “I have to play.” As athletes get older, the idea of college recruitment slowly seeps into their minds through their parents, coaches, and teammates, making it inevitable.…