Eight students sit at a red cloth table in the gymnasium, the Red Devil logo hanging on the curtains behind them. The sound of papers shuffling reverberates throughout the room as the kids sign off and begin their journey into the world of college athletics. However, this wasn’t really the beginning for them.

“For me, the process started the summer leading into my senior season, with going to different college camps and other showcases,” said Thomas Ives, senior and future football player Colgate University. “I verbally committed in the middle of November.”

On Feb. 4, eight athletes signed off to play sports at their respective colleges next year.

As simple as signing a piece of paper is, it doesn’t fully grasp the years of preparation the athletes went through for this exact moment.

“I started recruiting my junior year,” said Tristan Nevotne, senior and future football player at Fordham University. “I researched and found emails of coaches and recruiters and started to send my video footage. I talked to coaches via Twitter and Facebook on a daily basis.”

Central students aren’t just known for their excellent grades and scores on standardized tests, but also for their dedication to school and sports.  Unfortunately, dedication to a sport doesn’t always mean an easy ride.

Nevotne was injured during his final season of football this year. He was so anxious to get back into the game, he began practicing before he was fully healed, causing a second injury.

“It really hurt my recruiting process,” Nevotne said. “The big programs are done recruiting by August. A lot of it is timing and what position need filled.”

Since signing, some of the students have felt less pressure at school since they’re already fully committed to a college. However, the athletes still believe that signing doesn’t mean slacking off.

“After signing, it feels like there was a big weight lifted off my shoulder,” Ives said. “There might be less pressure in the classroom, but school work is still important.”

Although college recruiting proved to be a stressful ride for a lot of these students, they agree all the hard work was worth the payoff.

“I’m really excited heading into next year,” Ives said. “Being able to go up to Colgate and show I can play will be a great experience, along with just heading to college in general.”

“I never had any doubts about playing in college,” Nevotne said. “I wrote down my goals in seventh grade. Number one on the list was to earn a full-ride Division 1 football scholarship. It has been a jarring, roller coaster ride, but I accomplished what I set out to do.”

The following athletes were recognized this month:

Wes Bergevin, soccer at Penn State

Ben Chapman, baseball at Case Western Reserve University

Evan Floersch, soccer at Emory University

Sydney Griffin, soccer at the University of New Hampshire

Stefan Ivanisevic, football at Princeton University

Thomas Ives, football at Colgate University

Michael Johnson, football at the United States Military Academy

Tristan Nevotne, football at Fordham University

Jenny Saviski, soccer at the University of Illinois at Chicago