CINCINNATI — Playing sports takes a lot of skill, effort and commitment. It starts at a young age, but can especially be true when athletes get to college.

What You Need To Know

  • Dozens of Cincinnati Public School student athletes participated in the Preparing Student-Athletes for College event

  • Students got the chance to hear from UC athletes and find out what it's like to play sports on a collegiate level

  • The goal of the event is to expose students to opportunities at college

Cincinnati Public School athletes, like Paul Hope, had a chance to attend annual Preparing Student Athletes for College Event at the University of Cincinnati, and it’s the basketball program that Hope said he’s most eager to learn about.

“I just love the concept of teamwork and just having to work together and build a strategy to beat another team,” said Hope.

As a basketball player himself, he knows just how much time and effort goes into becoming a great player. He is curious to know what it takes to play on a collegiate level. 

“I know making that big jump from being in high school to college can be really difficult for some athletes,” he said. “And I just want to know, like how I can like, be ready.”

Hope and his peers had the chance to get advice from a panel of UC athletes. Among them was football safety Antwan Peek, who said the most challenging thing about playing college football is managing his time.

“It was kind of hard for me at first in all my homework and stuff done, but managing all of that as well as football it was a lot,” said Peek. “But after a few weeks I was able to get on top of everything that I needed to.”

On top of time management, he said getting enough rest is also important for playing at his best. 

“You got to make sure you get good sleep every morning,” he said. “Every day of sleep is important. That helps you to make sure that you know your body is well rested.”

But more importantly, he says high school athletes should make sure to get good grades. That will give them a better chance of getting recruited.

“College coaches are really looking for athletes with good grades,” he said. “You know, it shows that they can they know what they're doing and that they can be trusted on the field and off the field.”

These are all things that hope says he will work on as he prepares for graduation in the spring. And it’s his hope to be back on UC’s campus next fall. 

“I've been to Mount Saint Joe,” said Hope. “I’ve been to UIndy. I'm looking at other schools. But UC is probably in my top five.”