Football players were given a quick window recently to show their skills to a host of top college scouts.
The NEPSAC May Showcase came to campus on May 11 and 12. Day one included Williston football players as well as athletes from Connecticut prep schools like Brunswick, Cheshire, Avon, Loomis Chaffee, and Choate Rosemary Hall; day two, the showcase are hosted Massachusetts prep schools such as Tabor Academy, Dexter Southfield, and Milton Academy.
The NEPSAC showcase has been around for four years, and is run by each team’s head coach. Each showcase last 45 minutes and each position has 10 minutes to perform their drills.
The showcase starts off with a team stretch and warmup; after stretches, players go right into an agility circuit that shows coaches how the players move and react in certain drills. Players then get a water break and rest depending on what time they are competing in position specific drills. Each position has 10 minutes to perform the drills in front of coaches. After the showcase is done, the players get opportunities to talk to different coaches from different schools.
The Williston event hosted coaches and programs from more than 130 Division 1 through Division 3 schools all around the country, including schools like the University of North Carolina, Penn State, Florida State, UCLA, Boston College, Wake Forest, and University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Senior running back Nate Ellis, from Shrewsbury Ma, says recruitment events like this have helped him create relations with coaches from different schools.
Nate currently holds five Division 1 offers from The University of Richmond, UMass Amherst, University of Rhode Island, Georgetown University, and University of New Haven.
Nate decided to do a postgraduate this upcoming year at Williston and thinks it will help his recruitment even more.
UCLA defensive lineman Marcus Almada thinks the May showcase is a great opportunity for everyone to show the work they have put in the offseason.
“I think when you get to show your abilities in person to coaches and also meet them in person and really socialize and get to know them on a personal level it helps create those relationships,” Marcus said.
Dartmouth commit Rowan Martin ’27, said the NEPSAC showcase has gave him opportunities that he never thought he would have.
“I have competed in the showcase for four years now and every year I always meet a new coach and create a new connection,” he said. “I committed to Dartmouth after my official visit, but I still competed this year to go out there and compete with my teammates.”
I have competed in this showcase for the past two years and think it has helped me tremendously, both in skill building and networking with coaches. I got my first offer last year at the showcase. Coach Tommy Beaton does a very good job of figuring out what drills each position should do to set us up for the best possible outcome. The relationships I have built from the showcase from competing and then talking to coaches after have gotten me to this position where I am now, trying to figure out what college will be my home for the next four years.
