What is the process of becoming an athelete in college?

Answered

So first... do you currently play the sport for your high school that you want to play in college? It seems like an obvious point but I can't tell from your question whether or not you do. If not—start playing that sport at your school if they offer it; if not, find a local org like a YMCA that offers it.

But assuming you do currently play the sport you want to play in college, you should basically just try to become as good an athlete as you can with the resources your high school offers. Recruiting happens when college coaches scout different high schools for strong athletes, and you can initiate recruiting by getting in touch with the coach at the school you're applying to. Division 1 recruiting is extremely competitive, and you'll typically need to be a very, very good athlete in the sport that you're aiming for to get recruiting attention (e.g., multiple years on varsity, team captainships if possible, significant regional or even state-level recognition or victories). If you do, then the coach can make a recommendation to the admissions office that can make it a bit easier to get in than it normally might (though this depends HEAVILY on the school—e.g., if you're applying to an Ivy league school, you would still need to have extremely high academic marks and scores to get in). After that, once you got there, you'd be set with a spot on the team.

If you're not recruited, typically most college sports will have open tryout periods for students to come and show their potential and academic prowess for that team's coaches. Those will usually happen at the start of whichever season that sport happens in—fall, winter, or spring. So the timing varies, but the process is the same. If you have a really good tryout, you could then get a spot on the team, and then (just as if you were recruited) you're officially a student athlete.