Chelsea Erkes '16 Recruiting Profile

This past year, I was the starting shooting guard on the 3rd-ranked, AAA team in PA. It was an exciting experience I will never forget however, reaching this milestone took a lot of work on and off the court. When I was going into the sixth grade, I developed an anxiety disorder that prevented me from attending public school. Homeschooling allowed me to keep up academically, but I missed the socialization with my friends and classmates. I had been playing basketball since second grade, so when the season approached I was determined not to miss it. It was a struggle to get to the first few practices, but the more I went, the easier it got.  I feel my love of the game and the confidence and self esteem I gained through playing helped me to finally overcome the anxiety and return to school the following year.

Basketball has given me so much. The past two years with my AAU team, Lady Rage, have been amazing. Although we are from different schools, we have become very close, like sisters.  Our chemistry on and off the court, allowed us to win games no one thought we were capable of. I am so blessed to have been able to experience this with such an incredible bunch of girls.

When I think about what is important to me in a college, my struggles and my triumphs are what really define it for me. I am looking for a school with a strong psychology program, because I want to be able to help kids who are struggling like I was. Playing basketball helped me become the person I am today. I want to continue to learn and grow as a player and to find a program that like my AAU team feels like a family. I believe I can bring my work ethic, skills, teamwork, and basketball mind to help your program reach its full potential as well as mine.