Exceptional athletes at AHS are finding it harder and harder to get recognized by colleges, even when they are beyond comparison to anyone else in our town.  Aspen is not only a small town, but it is also far away from other towns, only making it harder to get recognized.

Junior Jack Doremus was having a hard time receiving the coaching and opportunities that he needed for college hockey.  This year Doremus and his brother, Willy moved to Denver, Colorado, to receive what they wanted and needed in order to have a longer and stronger hockey career.  Although Doremus misses Aspen and everything Aspen has to offer outside of hockey, he knows that that is not what he needed in the long run.

“It is a much higher level down here and they can absolutely create a better opportunity,” Doremus said.

A better opportunity is what every athlete is looking for.  Right now Doremus’ hockey career is more important to him than staying in Aspen.

“I would do anything to play hockey in college like my older brother,” Doremus said.

Another talented athlete, AHS senior Shannon Turbidy, is feeling like she is at a disadvantage because she hasn’t gotten the exposure that most athletes get outside of Aspen.  Turbidy made varsity lacrosse as a freshman and feels like she has been improving and receiving the coaching needed to get her to a college level.  The coaching she has received has not only been from the high school coaches, but also from her dad, who has been helping her work towards her goal of becoming an incredible lacrosse player outside of the normal practice.

“It is tough coming from such a small town because of your competition and getting seen by colleges is very limited,” Turbidy said.  “I have never wanted to go to a school solely for lacrosse, and since I didn’t get the competition or exposure needed to be recognized by my dream schools, my varsity career in college isn’t working out.”

Turbidy believes that she started the recruiting process a little late, and since few, if any, recruiters come here, most of the spots for playing D1 lacrosse in her grade have already been taken.  This is leaving Turbidy with the desire to play club lacrosse and the hope that she gets into one of her dream schools academically.  Some of Turbidy’s dream schools include Yale, UVA, Georgetown, and Dartmouth.

“I have maintained a solid GPA, and even though it has been tough at times, I have used time management skills in order to maintain it,” Turbidy said.

Turbidy might not get into one of her dream schools the way she had planned, but luckily she has compensated and used the limitations of being in a small town to hopefully get her there.