Anna Easley '16 Recruiting Profile

Ever since I was a little girl, soccer has been my passion. I knew from an early age that I wanted to not only go far in soccer, but to play at the highest level possible. I believe what makes me a good candidate for college teams is my passion and my will to work as hard as I possibly can. Growing up in Jackson, Tennessee, opportunities to better yourself and develop as a player are few and far between. Growing up with tight finances definitely makes the few opportunities that you get, even harder to take. That being said, I had to build my own work ethic off of my drive to succeed in playing soccer. This meant going to practices with my older brothers, working with my older brothers to push myself to develop technique, going to soccer camp every year, playing a year ahead of my age group for rec league, and eventually playing travel soccer and school soccer. I've never let anything stop me, no matter how much adversity I've faced. I strongly believe that courage in the face of adversity builds character and strengthens your will. Because of these factors, I made it my goal to develop my play as much as I could, and to perfect technique as well as I could. I also want to achieve academic excellence. People have always stereotyped athletes. They say we're not smart, they say anyone can kick a soccer ball but it won't get you through life, they say no athlete can manage sports and education. I've always wanted to prove those people wrong. In a sense they are right. Academics are hard to balance while playing sports. However, it is not impossible. I've played soccer since I was 3, and it is hard managing time for school and practice. I've managed to do it though. I have a 3.4 GPA, and I'm playing not only soccer, but basketball too. I can contribute that to my strong work ethic. With all of this being said, I believe this is what makes me different from other candidates.