Desmond Thompson '23 Recruiting Profile

I have been playing organized sports since I was 5 years old.  Once I reached middle school, I began to realize I have the potential to play sports at the collegiate level.  I have played travel football, travel basketball and travel baseball.  I recognize there is a great commitment and dedication required to play at the collegiate level.  I am up for that challenge.

It is my goal to play collegiate sports and I know that my classroom performance is equally as important as the success I experience on the field/court.  I work hard everyday in the classroom and on the field/court to ensure  this is possible.  Being a student-athlete at Merced High School means  I am part of the long standing legacy and rich history of student-athletes before me.  Our motto is "Home of Scholars and Champions" and I do not take this idea lightly.  To me, this is a virtue to challenge me to be the best I can be academically, athletically, personally and spiritually .

It is my professional goal to be a sports psychologist or coach.  I want to inspire others to reach their full athletic potential not only from a physically prepared place, but also one from a strength-based mental level.  Being a professional competitor requires discipline and commitment and I want to help others to achieve this level of confidence and perfection. 

My peers would describe me as being a friend to everyone, approachable and fun to be around.  I value the importance of positive relationships.  I have been raised to be kind and respectful to others and this is very important to me in a social climate where human kindness is rare.  

Most people do not know about my strong spiritual faith.  It is not something I often talk about and know that it is something I can improve upon.  But, I am inspired in life because of my faith.  I pray for forgiveness, strength and guidance from my Savior, Jesus Christ.  At the end of everyday, I want to be a person pleasing to God.

What makes me a good candidate as a college athlete is that I am coachable,  I am a student of the sports I play, and I am a competitor always striving toward excellence.  I recognize that being a student-athlete not only means the work I do in my traditional academics; it also includes being a student of the sports I play.  I would say that I have a high intellect when it comes to game analysis and preparedness.  I am able to review game film and evaluate the conditions to ensure individual and team success against opponents.  I work hard physically in team practices and am committed to individual workouts outside of normal team practice schedules.  One of the greatest strengths of an athlete is growing from loss and adversity.  I am a competitor and don't like to lose; however, these are experiences that strengthen us as individuals.  I like the quote, "You learn more from losing than winning.  You learn how to keep going."  I have been on winning and losing teams and no matter the record at the end of the season, you do keep going...there is always another game and another opportunity to be better and this is important to me....not just as an athlete, but as a person, too.

I think the statements made above are exactly what makes me different from other recruits.  I would describe myself as a quiet leader, humbled by my athletic abilities and determined to be successful in a way that makes me a better person and adds values to others.