Recruiting Horror Stories™ are posted every Tuesday to provide athletes' first-hand experiences of what can go wrong during the recruiting process.

Macey Hollenshead played guard for the University of Fairfield women's basketball team. She made the All-Academic Team in 2017-2018 and was one of the team's leaders. Macey started in 11 games in her senior year. She averaged 7.8  points per game after averaging 3.8 in 19 games off the bench. She also had 3.0 assists as a starter and 1.1 as a reserve. Macey also hit a 3-pointer in eight-straight games, the longest streak of her career (2/4 – 2/25). As a recruit, it's crucial to understand that coaches will push you to commit; it's up to you to decide if that is the type of coach you are willing to play for.

Macey's Recruiting Horror Story™ is the perfect reminder to think about and commit to the school that is the best fit for you. She tells of her recruiting process: she was in regular contact with the coaches at one of her target schools, but on the visit, he pressured her to commit right then. When she didn't, he threatened to offer her scholarship to someone else.

Macey wanted more time to really consider her options, but with the summer coming to an end, the coach called her and said they had offered her scholarship to someone else, and the other recruit accepted.

Related: The Coach Who Enjoyed Making Recruits Cry

Many coaches will try to pressure recruits to commit right away. This is usually a manipulation or scare tactic, and Macey's story is a reminder that it's important to not fall to those pressures if you're not 100% certain. We need to also remember, however, that coaches really do only have so many scholarships and roster spots they can offer, so if you don't commit that day, there is a very good chance that they will follow through and offer your scholarship elsewhere.

* Originally published on December 21, 2021, by 2aDays Staff