For student-athletes, the school day begins much earlier than the first bell and ends much later than the final one. Juggling rigid coursework, early-morning practices, and late-afternoon games requires discipline and commitment. For SHS senior Alex Sharp, a varsity crew athlete, learning to manage these demands defined his high school experience. 

Sharp had crew practices six days a week, with each practice lasting several hours. Practices often began early and ran late, giving athletes little downtime. On average, Sharp spent four hours at practice per day, frequently getting home around 7PM. In addition, Saturday mornings were booked for more training. 

This challenging schedule forced Sharp to learn to be more disciplined with completing his work as sleep was a priority to ensure performance as an athlete. All of these needs shaped a strong work ethic that carried over into the college recruitment process. 

Sharp first started rowing in middle school, but he truly fell in love with the sport in the spring of his freshman year. The coaches and friends he met in the crew built a sense of community that he had previously not found in his previous endeavors. Later, in sophomore year, Sharp made varsity for the first time, before making first boat and going to nationals.

As sophomore year ended, Sharp started emailing coaches all throughout junior year. He had initial conversations with 15 schools. Then, he began narrowing down his options by making lots of unofficial visits where he would watch practices. By senior year, he had a list of three schools, taking an official visit to each school. 

Throughout the recruitment process, it is essential that athletes have a strong support network. “I am thankful for my teammates, family, and friends as well as my coaches for encouraging me,” Sharp shared. He also found peers in his rowing club to be very helpful as many of them went on to row for college. 

Ultimately, Sharp chose to sign for Yale as he found that his future teammates were very welcoming, with freshmen showing him around their dorms. Looking forward to the 2026-2027 season, Sharp shared that he is most excited about meeting new people and finding great success at Yale.