On February 4th, 2026, BISV’s first-ever tennis recruit had her signing day to play college tennis for MIT. The event was hosted in the gym with many of Michelle’s friends, teachers, and loved ones in attendance. I’ll be going over a little of the behind-the-scenes that went on to make this signing day possible.
What is a signing day?
When athletes are recruited to play tennis for a school, they often make a verbal commitment first. This can be done through contacting the coach once the athlete gets their acceptance letter. In today’s generation, a commitment doesn’t become “real” until it hits social media. Michelle made her own such post which shows her verbal commitment.
Although a verbal commitment can be binding, it doesn’t guarantee that the athlete ends up going to the school they’ve committed to. This could be due to the athlete finding a better offer or the school rescinding their offer. What makes the commitment legal is the signing day (or more accurately the contract you sign on the signing day). This way the athlete is guaranteed to have a spot in the college so that they can play for the team. These signing days usually have a deadline or a set date depending on the school.
For Michelle, her signing day happened on a very momentous Wednesday, but it could’ve happened any day. MIT’s signing day isn’t on a set date but since the 4th of February was convenient enough, this is the day that Michelle became legally bound to MIT.
Who is Michelle?
Michelle G. is one of our Bbobcats graduating in the year of 2026. She is also one of the team captains for the girls tennis team and a section editor for the Quill. Michelle’s outstanding tennis, academics, and personality were what allowed her to catch the eyes of MIT’s coaches. Currently, Michelle is ranked top 151 in the U.S. and top 20 in Northern California for the female class of 2026. To get some insight on her tennis journey we asked Michelle a few questions.
How long have you been playing?
“I’ve been playing since I was around nine! I got into tennis because my dad plays and he dragged me onto the court one day LOL. After that, I started taking semiprivate lessons with a friend and the rest is history.”
What level are you?
“I’m around a UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) 8.2 and ranked amongst the top 20 in Norcal.”
How often did you play?
“I used to train 6-7 (pun NOT intended 😭) days a week! I would usually practice from 4-6:30pm after school on weekdays and play tournaments on weekends.”
How was the signing day?
“Signing day felt surreal. It felt like all my hard work in these past years has finally paid off. I know that little Michelle would be proud of me in this moment and it kind of made me tear up a bit.”
What do you plan to do now?
“Now I plan to enjoy life haha! I’m still going to train of course, but definitely not grinding as much as I used to. I think I want to just play with friends a lot. I’m also starting to do paid tennis lessons which have been fun!”
While Michelle’s signing day marks Michelle’s legal commitment to MIT, it also represents her tennis and academic journey throughout the years. Furthermore, it also marks the start of a new chapter for Michelle as she gets ready to say goodbye to highschool while continuing her academic and tennis journey at MIT. Either way, BISV and the Quill wishes her luck.
