As year begins to end, high school athletes are wrapping up their college recruitment and beginning to make the tough decision of where they will be playing in college.
The decision can boil down to several factors: the school's record, their ability to develop talent or even the uniforms that they wear.
But an aspect that can make or break a recruit's final decision is their relationship with either their past, present or future coaches. This aspect played a crucial role in junior shortstop Aspen Bouwalres' college decision.
Boulware committed to the South Carolina softball team on Oct. 7. Her high school coach, Doug Frye, said her relationship with South Carolina head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard was a deciding factor.
Boulware began to consider the Gamecocks after forming a relationship with Chastain Woodard, Frye said. As the Gamecocks continued to improve in Chastain Woodard's first season, Frye could see a change in Boulware's decision.
“She came and watched her play and invited her to a camp,” Frye said. “She went to the camp, and they start a relationship, Aspen has to have a great relationship with a coach, Coach Chastain (Woodard), I could see it turning, and they got something special.”
Frye said Boulware felt comfortable around the coaching staff and the players at South Carolina. What helped Boulware and Chastain Woodard connect even further was their shared goals to win both SEC and national championships.
Frye first saw Boulware when she was 4 years old at a pitching camp her mother was running. He didn’t see Boulware again until she was in seventh grade.
“She was at Ben Lippen,” Frye said. “And our JV team was playing in a tournament in Lugoff, and I seen Aspen, and you could tell that she was different.”
Boulware transferred into Gray Collegiate the following year to play for Frye. In that timespan, Boulware and Frye had won two state championships in both 2024 and 2025.
As Boulware continued to impress on the field, she began to garner interest from the nation's top softball programs, such as Florida, Oklahoma and Florida State.
Her mom, Jessica Boulware, was a pitcher and currently is a member of the Seminoles' Athletics Hall of Fame.
Frye said South Carolina wasn’t on Boulware’s list and that she was convinced she was going to Oklahoma due to the strong relationship with head coach Patty Gasso. This was something that was important to Boulware in her decision-making process Frye said.
But in the end, Boulware chose the Gamecocks and became one of the highest ranking prospects to sign with South Carolina softball, and her relationship with Chastain Woodard certainly played a role.
The strong relationships that Boulware has with Frye and Chastain Woodard are common for athletes to form as they progress through their atheltic career, no matter the level.
At the highschool level, junior pitcher Jake McCoy and Catawba Ridge baseball coach Stas Swerdzewski showcase that coach-player dynamic.
When McCoy first arrived at the school as a freshman, Swerdzewski remembers seeing a small left-handed pitcher with a good arm.
McCoy worked on his game over the course of his high school career and eventually committed to Wofford. But after then-head coach Todd Interdonato left the program, McCoy decommitted.
Once he reopened his recruiting, Swerdzewski said there were several teams hot on McCoy's tail. Swerdzewski began to receive phone calls from Power Five schools as well as South Carolina.
“I got a call from (Matt) Williams, the one that recruited Jake to South Carolina, and I got calls from other coaches as well, at big time schools,” Swerdzewski said. "It's not just calls about 'How good is Jake?' I think it's also calls about 'What is he thinking?'”
Swerdzewski and McCoy were neighbors, and Swerdzewski said he remembers a conversation the two had on his back porch. He told McCoy to find the place that he fits in the most and where he can play early on.
“I don't ever try to steer kids one direction or another,” Swerdzewski said. “I just always try to tell the players 'You need to go to the place that's the best fit for you.'”
Swerdzewski also said that some of the previous relationships he built in the sport helped in the recruiting process. Swerdzewski committed to Florida, but he eventually ended up playing for Winthrop for two seasons and staying with the team as volunteer assistant coach for four years.
These coach-to-coach relationships are not just another tool to help an athlete get recruited. Gray Collegiate assistant men’s basketball coach Elliott Pope said they are invaluable.
“People pick up the phone for you when you've produced kids before,” Pope said. “People pick up the phone for you when they've dealt with you in other relationships.”
Pope was the head coach at Lexington High for six seasons, where he won a state championship in 2024. There, he coached Cam Scott, a current redshirt sophomore guard on the South Carolina men’s basketball team.
After Scott received an offer from Winthrop, Pope was able to call every other school in the Big South. Then, after a good game against Julian Phillips, the No. 19 ranked prospect in the class of 2022 and a current member of the Chicago Bulls, Scott gained several Power Five offers.
Pope said this helped Scott to be recruited as a national prospect and not just a regional talent.
“Different coaches have different philosophies on this as well,” Pope said. “To me, as a head coach, it's my job to market you as best I can.”
As Scott's recruitment continued, Pope said the coaching staff at South Carolina was great with staying in contact. Even after a coaching staff change early in his recruitment, following the departure of Frank Martin, the school remained in consistent contact with Pope and Scott.
“They were great with communication,” Pope said. “I think that they really did have a concerted effort. And from what I've been told about how they handle any of their recruitment of any high school kid, they're pretty diligent.”
Pope said he hordes information from other coaches, which he is able to get through previous players who were recruited. This helps him continue to help his players get to the next level.
"Getting these relationships, these numbers, these personal contacts to where I can be able to advocate and market whoever else might come through my program or I might have contact with," Pope said.
Not often does a high school coach have a player that will eventually play at their alma mater. Natalie Norris was able to accomplish this.
Norris played basketball at South Carolina from 1992-96 and coached sophomore forward Joyce Edwards at Camden High School. Edwards is a current member of the Gamecock women’s basketball team.
While the program has changed from back when Norris wore the garnet and black, she said she was able to offer Edwards some advice during her recruitment.
“I think maybe just having gone through some of the similar things, that just was able to keep an open mind and the things to look for,” Norris said.
Edwards held a scholarship offer from the Gamecocks going back to eighth grade and continued to build a strong relationship. Norris said relationships are an important aspect to the college decision process.
“Those relationships really and truly matter," Norris said. "Find people that you can trust because it's a tough business."
Norris was unsure that Edwards would end up committing with the school not having her intended major, environmental engineering. However, the Honors College at South Carolina allowed Edwards to craft her own major and thus commit to the Gamecocks.
“I was so thrilled,” Norris said. “She's thrilled. She's a homebody, and I think she loves to be able to get in the car and go see her parents and show up here at Camden High and see everybody, so it's just been a win-win for everyone.”
Coaches can help a recruit get invited to camps and gain initial interest from schools, but the deciding factor is often talent. Norris said that as long as you have skill, an athlete won't stay hidden for long.
“If you can play, these coaches are going to find you,” Norris said.
Scott, Boulware, Edwards and McCoy were all able to win state championships in of South Carolina during their high school careers.
Scott spoke about importance of being able to represent his home state and wear the garnet and black uniform at the South Carolina men's basketball team media day.
"South Carolina is just something that you want to play for, especially being from here," Scott said. "It's something that's at the top of everybody's list. And having this opportunity to do that, you can't take it for granted."