Falcon Athletes Choose Their Paths Towards Their Dreams

The atmosphere was tense as the young nervous athlete picks up the pen and signs to the college of their dreams. After a long and difficult process of choosing the school, they have finally done it. Their parents, teammates, and coaches couldn’t be any happier.

College signings are a huge step towards the beginning of a student’s athletic and academic goals. The process of choosing a college isn’t always as easy as people would think. Many factors contribute to the choosing of the college. Although some athletes do get full scholarships, there are many athletes that have to choose from partial scholarships. They choose by looking at which school gives them the best offers. Both academically and athletically.

“The school that gave me the best scholarship was ultimately going to decide which school I went to which ended up being Nova Southeastern University,”  Baseball signee, Daniel Irisarri said.

Not only are scholarships important, but the location and academics the school holds is also critical as well. There are some athletes that would prefer being farther away from home and others that would rather stay close to their roots.One student decided to go to school in Fort Lauderdale so that family could visit often while another decided to go to North Carolina. Also, making sure that the college you sign to has programs that interests you and will help further your education is key to a successful college experience.

“Although the baseball history is great, they have a really good physical therapist program which is what I want to study,” signee to Catawba College, Anthony Ponce said.

Many of the Ferguson signees weren’t just handed these opportunities. They had to earn them through hard work, dedication, and lots of sacrifices. Not all players started off at the top. Some started off on the JV teams and had to deal with lots of competition. Their drive and commitment is what helped get them to their varsity spot.

“All the struggles were just going to sleep late, you know, working out, just putting in the work that other people won’t do just because they’re lazy,” Daniel Irisarri said.

After the long process of choosing a school, a sense of accomplishment when signing takes away all the stress and leaves them in relief. Every athlete that has been signed has worked nonstop to get to this day. The adventure has been tough but has been worth it for many student athletes at this school.

“I’m just really excited to start this journey, it’s always been a dream of mine since I was little and just thinking about being there in Michigan is a dream come true to me,” Natalie Pineda, basketball signee to Michigan State University said.

Not only is college signing a major occasion, it’s a milestone for athletes that will stay with them for a lifetime. It’s a proud moment for the Ferguson family to see some of their own accomplishing wonderful dreams.

“It’s great to see our athletes going on to continue the legacy of being a falcon,” Principle Villalobos said.