Chloe Layne '16 Recruiting Profile

My goal for college has changed tremendously as I mature. I used to think basketball was my first priority. As I near graduation and I begin to visit potential colleges, I have come to realize that my first priority is that I receive an education that will prepare me for a future as a teacher. I no longer want to be "just" a high school teacher; I want to be the kind of teacher that leaves their mark on each child. Motivating kids, instilling the morales and values I uphold and encouraging kids to want a healthy lifestyle is my first priority.

Next to an effective education and a safe campus environment, my life long goal has been to play basketball at the collegiate level. As the child of a YMCA Executive, I grew up playing any and every sport. My summers were spent in a gymnasium where I attended week long camps...including football.  I excelled at sports from a very early age and played softball, volleyball and swim team to pass the time until basketball season. By the time I was 10, I had traded all sports and anything that was not basketball related. Basketball became my life. And I can honestly say that in the past 8 years, there is not a single day that goes by that I do not practice, condition or research ways to improve my game. While I have always excelled in the classroom,  basketball is the thing that drives me and I spend all of my time dedicated to it.

Playing at the collegiate level has always been my dream.  I believe that you will find I am a good candidate for your college team because I'm not only offensively talented, I'm very aware of what is going on around me. I am able to see things and opportunities on the floor that others can't and I use those things as teaching moments. I'm a very motivated player who is not only the team Captain but is the girl who runs practices and conditions her teammates during the summer. I also work 1:1 with each specific player on the things I recognize they need help with.  I try to lift my teammates up and encourage them. I work hard at being a role model and keeping my attitude in check, both off and on the court.  I know which player is the best at a particular thing and I work my way around them to use that effectively and correctly on the court, as well as develop the skills they lack. Ultimately I want my teammates to be as successful as they can because it builds them up and when they feel good about themselves, it gives them the confidence they need to play and lift the team as a whole. I'm a straight A student who entered high school with college credits, per the NC Education system, and I am enrolled in all honors classes here in West Virginia. I will graduate May 21, 2016 with honors and more credit hours than required to do so. A Promise Scholarship recipient, I work just as hard in school as I do on the court, taking all homework, tests and projects seriously. While I want to be a great ball player, at the end of the day, I strive to be successful in all I do.  My parents have taught me to put a 100% in everything I do,  and for me that includes school, basketball, work (I work full-time when not in season) and volunteering. I am a Christian who volunteers at various church functions, my favorite being Coach to an Upwards girls basketball team of little girls. It feels so good to know that I can instill the values I believe in these girls, all while passing on my enthusiasm for the sport. 

I moved to West Virginia the summer before my sophomore year. Coming from a large 4A school (Mooresville Senior High) where losing was not an option, my family and I knew there would be less emphasis on girls basketball here. We were right! I have had 5 coaches in 3 seasons with more losses than I care to count. Our entire 2014/15 season was winless. But even though I had the drive to win, I made friendships that will last a lifetime. I fell in love with my school, its leadership and my peers. I took the losses personally, but that year we were rebuilding and I tried to focus on developing the rising talent. My junior season brought 2 new coaches and the hope of a bigger and better season. We went winless. Though it was discouraging to lose 20+ games, in February of that season (2015), playing against a team 2nd in our conference, I scored 16 3-pointers in a single game. At the time we had no idea that I had made anything other than a school record. When the radio and newspapers started calling, we knew it was much bigger than that. It turned out that I not only made a local and state record, but that I also held the #2 spot Nationally for highest 3's scored in a single game by a female. I am the only girl to have ever made 16, and the #1 spot is for 17. 

The attention received was so encouraging. I had lost my spark because I had spent so much time as the leader of my team encouraging others that I had lost my own passion. With the trophies, certificates, and media interviews-I can honestly say I remained humble. God knew I needed a renewed spirit for the game I love and He saw fit to give me a chance to grab it. Above all the accolades, the best part of that night was the fact that the little girls I coached in Upwards were in the stands at that game and were able to see that at any time you can be given an opportunity to write your own history. Oh, and that whatever boys can do, girls can do better.

While I love my school, its leadership and my peers....I still long for something "more". My stats show that I am a shooter. My 3's have always been recognized and I have worked hard to perfect my shots. But no set of stats, lengthy bio, or short video can tell you what I have to offer your team. More than talent, above dedication, and beyond school records....I am just an ordinary girl...who will do extraordinary things at the school God plants me and under a coaching system that will spend time developing me. The only question then is....is that you? 

Can't wait to speak with you personally, 

Chloe