After the Cut by Ava

After the Cut by Ava - August 2026 Scholarship Essay

I still remember the exact moment the call ended. The Nova Southeastern University lacrosse coach’s voice was calm, almost apologetic, as she explained that they had overrecruited and needed to make cuts. My name was unfortunately on the list. How could that be? I was their first 2027 recruit. I hung up and just sat there, phone still in my hand, feeling the heat rise in my face. Embarrassment hit first. Then the heavier thought settled in: maybe I wasn’t good enough.

I went to my club recruiting director the next day after I got done coaching a group of high school girls, looking for direction, or at least some reassurance. What I got instead was blunt. She told me I shouldn’t even be looking at D1 schools, and that even though Nova was a D2 school, she had been surprised they recruited me in the first place because it was a stretch. In her view, I needed to focus on lower-level programs and Division III schools. The words landed harder than the cut itself. If the person who was supposed to help guide me through this process didn’t believe I belonged at the level I had already reached, what did that say about me?

For a few days I felt stuck between shame and anger. I replayed every practice, every showcase, every highlight, searching for proof that the original offer had been real. The doubt was loud. But sitting in it wasn’t going to change anything. Roster spots were filling up, and the only way forward was to start over.
I logged into the recruiting platforms and began reaching out to schools that still had openings. I researched programs, sent emails, followed up, had phone calls with coaches and scheduled campus visits. I met with coaches, walked campuses, and asked the hard questions about playing time, team culture, and fit. Each conversation forced me to present myself without the safety of an existing offer. I had to advocate for my own game instead of waiting for someone else to decide my value.

That process was uncomfortable, but it taught me something the original feedback had only hinted at: belonging isn’t handed to you. It’s something you keep earning. The cut from Nova and the assessment that even a D2 roster spot was a stretch could have convinced me to shrink and aim lower or just to give up all together. Instead, they pushed me to get clearer about what I actually wanted and what I was willing to work for. I stopped measuring myself only by who believed in me and started measuring myself by the work I was willing to put in after the belief was gone.

When I ultimately committed to Barry University, it didn’t feel like settling. It felt like a choice I had actively made after facing the doubt head-on. The embarrassment of being cut and the sting of being told I was reaching too high didn’t disappear, but they stopped defining me. They became the reason I learned how to advocate for myself, how to recover from rejection, and how to keep moving when the feedback is hard to hear.

That experience changed how I approach everything now. Whether it’s a correction in practice, a tough grade, or another setback, I try to treat the discomfort as information instead of a verdict. The feedback that once made me feel like I didn’t belong became the reason I finally learned how to claim my place.