By: Sarah Amador & Kiana Diamond

It’s clearly a special day. The tables are set up, decorated in colorful banners and a flurry of photos, young and old. Families, friends and teammates alike begin to settle into the gym, all of them bursting with excitement and pride. Coaches stand off to the side, waiting to begin the ceremony. And athletes are the center of attention.
Signing days are typically held during the spring semester of high school. It is a day that commemorates all the senior athletes who committed to a college to continue their academic career and take their athletic careers to the next level.
At Granada Hills Charter (GHC), the class of 2026 proudly produced several college athletes. Among the athletes were seniors Elyssé Diaz, Zoe Justman and Jada Kim, all of whom committed to play at the NCAA Division 1 (D1) level for their sports, the highest level of college athletes. D1 schools feature the largest athletic budgets, best facilities, and maximum scholarship opportunities. They also offer higher-stakes competition and more media exposure.
But reaching that level takes far more than than talent, it requires years of discipline and navigating a demanding recruiting process.
Although the final signing is relieving, the initial process can be stressful and complex for athletes.
“The recruiting process started during summer and was very overwhelming with all the college coaches reaching out to give me a call,” University of Georgia gymnastics commit Jada Kim said. “It felt like an interview every time.”
When receiving offers from multiple schools, choosing a school can be difficult. It boils down to the unique features of each school outside of academics: the environment, location, the campus culture and the people and the academic programs.
“What I’m most excited about is meeting everybody there,” California Baptist softball commit Elyssé Diaz said. “I know a couple of girls there and I’m really grateful that they helped me out. And the fact that the head coach thought I was gonna potentially be a starter is pretty exciting.”
But there was only light at the end of the tunnel. The girls all agreed that ending the recruiting process was a large relief and only generated more excitement for the next steps after high school.
“I feel like a huge weight was taken off my back,” University of Santa Barbara softball commit Zoe Justman said. “I committed my junior year, so I knew my senior year was gonna be a breeze, and college apps would be a lot easier.”
These athletes have accomplished so much during their athletic careers. They are now going to continue their journey collegiately where they will accomplish much more. To these three female athletes we wish you luck.