From Jenks to the Next Level: The Real Transition From High School to College Athletics

By: Ellie Mink

For many high school athletes, the dream of playing in college comes with both excitement and uncertainty. The jump in competition, workload, and personal responsibility can feel overwhelming. To get a closer look and a personal opinion on the transition, I talked to Jenks Alum Chase Martin, who experienced the transition firsthand when he stepped onto a college basketball court for the first time. 

Martin said the biggest adjustment came fast.

“The physicality and time management,” said Martin. “In high school, everything is kind of laid out for you. In college, you’ve got to make smart decisions on how you attack the 24 hours in each day.” 

Freshman year didn’t offer much time to ease in, either. Martin described it as being “thrown into the fire,” competing daily in practices that felt like “a high-level game.”

It wasn’t until after that first year that he finally felt comfortable. But even then, the college pace was unlike anything he’d experienced before. 

“The speed and physicality is night and day difference,” said  Martin. “In high school, I was usually the strongest. In college, you’re going against grown men… You definitely feel a little more banged up after each practice and each game.”

Along with the physical shift came changes in everyday training. Instead of simply getting shots up as he did in high school, Martin said he now focuses on intentional skill work. 

“I have been more about taking a week on one specific skill or something I need to get better at. Just focusing in on one or two things has changed the way I train, and I’ve seen the benefits.”

The demanding schedule doesn’t end once the whistle blows. Martin described a typical in-season day as starting at 8 a.m. with a workout, followed by class until noon, rehab with the athletic trainer, shooting before practice, and then practice itself, often lasting from 3 to 6 p.m. 

“After that, I do homework, then go to sleep,” he said. “Balancing academics and athletics is one of the hardest things about being an athlete.”

Even with all the physical challenges, the mental side proved to be one of the toughest parts of the transition.

“The biggest mental challenge for me has been putting too much pressure on myself,” Martin said. “There’s a desire to want to be great… and for me, something that comes with that is fear of failure.” 

He says his prayer life has helped him stay steady.

“Tough times are going to come, but it’s who we are in those tough times.” 

He explained how the locker room environment also shifts at the college level. Surprisingly, Martin said he believes “team culture is honestly better in high school than in college,” pointing to challenges like the transfer portal and NIL as factors that can complicate unity. 

“In high school, it is purely for the love of the game and the desire to get to the next level,” said Martin.

Still, his time at Jenks equipped him for the jump. 

“My coaches did a great job preparing me for the next level,” Martin said. “Whether that’s terminology or just expectation… they were always honest with me and helped me get to the next level.”

For current Jenks athletes dreaming of playing in college, Martin offered advice grounded in his own journey.

“You’ve got to believe in yourself even when no one does,” said Martin. “You’ve got to be honest with yourself on where you’re at and where you want to get to… Put everything into it. Don’t look back a week or a month from now and say, ‘man, I didn’t give it my all.’” 

Looking back, there’s one thing he wishes he had known going into his first season: 

“It’s never as big as you think it is in your head… Basketball was my identity early on in my college career, and this brought a lot of trials and tribulations,” said Martin. 

Now, he recognizes the importance of perspective, something many high school athletes don’t fully realise until they experience the transition themselves.

For those who are looking to further their athletic career at the college level, Martin gives one simple piece of advice: “You’ve just got to go after it.”