Chelsea Connolly '16 Recruiting Profile

Greetings! My name is Chelsea Connolly and I would like to introduce myself. I am 16 years old and am a Senior at Troy High School in Fullerton, CA. I am a 5’6”, 120 pound defensive midfielder playing for both my high school team and Legends FC club in Chino, CA; although my primary position is defensive midfield, I am more than capable of playing anywhere on the backline or wherever my coach/team needs me to play to best help the team succeed.

I have been playing soccer since I was three years old. Since the first time I touched a ball, I automatically fell in love with the sport. As I got a little older and practice got tougher and games got more competitive, I knew that I wanted to pursue soccer at the collegiate level. It is my passion; what keeps me going and what helps push me to work harder and harder each day.

Playing soccer in college is a goal I expect to achieve. I will be working to get playing time as a freshman anywhere I go. I would like to go to a school with a friendly atmosphere where I can find balance between the class and the field. I hope to find the right college match at the highest level of competition possible.

I am an excellent student and have always taken my education very seriously. I graduated top of my class and student of the year in junior high. I was accepted into the International Baccalaureate and Technology programs at Troy High school, which is a one hour commute from where I live. I have a 3.87 GPA with a rigorous transcript at my nationally ranked high school. In my high school career, this will be my fourth year as a tri-season student/athlete. I ran cross country and track as well as played soccer for my high school since Freshman year. I have also been playing club soccer throughout my years in high school. I like to give back and volunteer when I am able to. I am a member of the National Honor Society, Leo Club, Principal Advisory Board, and am a Volunteen for the City of Brea, which allows me to participate in many different community activities. For example, I have had the opportunity to volunteer at the annual Special Needs Dance, where I met so many new friends and got a chance to interact and get to know some amazing individuals. Also, with my Leo Club I was able to make cards for War Veterans that we would visit in the hospital and personally thank for serving our country. I have had so many wonderful volunteer experiences and hold them dear to me. With this being said, time management and prioritization have become key in my life as I have had to become stronger in multi-tasking and achieving success with these tasks while doing so.

Many of my peers and colleagues consider themselves driven, but few are willing to go 110% to accomplish their goals. I have strong legs, an open mind and a huge heart. I am a team leader with excellent ball handling skills and try to lead by example and am very encouraging to my teammates. I am extremely coachable and pride myself in always working my hardest. I have had the quote “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift” close to my heart for six years now, as it reminds me that everyone contains a special “gift” inside of them- a gift that is meant to used and exposed, which is why hard work is required in everything I do. Before every game, I recite this quote to myself, as it reminds me to always exert my full effort and to never give up. When a training session, a game, or any task starts to get frustrating or tough, I think of this quote and advise myself that giving up is not an option because I would be wasting the “gift” inside of me.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me!

Chelsea