Ethan Wookey Feature Athlete Interview – Committed to Whittier College

1. Share your recruiting story and status I started my recruiting process back in my sophomore-junior year during the summer when I started attending big tournaments and showcases on the west coast. These were great for exposure and it began a long and challenging recruiting process. My junior year season my dad took video of me playing to create a highlight video. My junior-senior year summer was the biggest for me as I attended the headfirst camp in Long Island, New York. Along with that showcase, I played in a number of tournaments and showcases in Los Angeles as well. Lastly, I attended 3 different school recruiting camps. None of which I ended up committing to. I decided after my third one I wouldn’t go to anymore and I also decided that I was going to stay on the west coast. This cut off a lot of potential offers, but it worked out for the best. I then came down to the decision in March between Whittier and another school, and I ultimately chose Whittier. I went to both schools, talked to both coaches in person and made my final decision. 2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them? I will be playing at Whittier College next year in Los Angeles. I chose this college due to location, coaching staff, and most importantly the academics. 3. How did SportsForce help in the process? SportsForce helped immensely in this process as they helped with contacting different coaches, recommended different showcases for maximum exposure, and edited my highlight video to show to colleges. Ryan Thompson (my recruiting advisor) was also a big help, as he gave me great advice as I traveled through the summer and through my senior year. 4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process? I would definitely recommend lots of raw footage of game situations to eventually make into a highlight video. Also to be open to the process, as college coaches are very busy and aren’t always responsive right away. There were a lot of the colleges that didn’t express a lot of interest in me because my size, speed, or strength were not aligned with their recruiting needs. Try not to set your heart on one school too early as that school might not have a need for you. There may also be schools that you will match up well with, but they may not have a roster spot for you due to previous recruiting years at your position. For me, going to a school where I will be able to get lots of playing time early was a key. Don’t be afraid to contact coaches by email or phone call. Not every coach will respond to emails right away, so if you are interested in going to that school, calling them to tell them about certain tourney’s or showcase’s your attending is important. Lastly, grades in school are a major key. I didn’t qualify academically for some schools as my grades were too low to attend them. Having high grades really opens so many more doors. 5. How excited are you about your future in college? I am very excited to start my college career, as I have been working toward it since I was 4 years old. 6. How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses because of you being recruited? Because I am going to a D3 school I will not receive any sports scholarships, but I did receive a healthy academic scholarship to cover a lot of the sticker price. 7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why? I would recommend SportsForce to any student-athlete trying to play sports in college as they give you an upper edge in the world of college coaches.