Anastasia Smith '21 Recruiting Profile

I have played soccer since the 5th grade. At first I wasn't really sure I wanted to play but once I started I loved it. After my 8th grade season I helped form a team with all the local middle schools that feed into my high school. We went from rivals to teammates and now play different teams every Saturday. I have already started my training for high school. My goal is to help my team win the district and eventually the state championship. I strive to be a good role model for many of my younger teammates on and off the field. In my spare time I watch old soccer films which helps me get a better understanding of the game and what I must do in the position that I play. I also enjoy helping my teammates understand their positions. You cannot win a soccer game on your own. It is a true team effort. 

Besides soccer I realize that academics is also important. I am enrolled in an Honors program in my school. I currently have straight A's and that includes high school credit courses. I come from a family who value education and realize that I have to balance that with my soccer. I am a student athlete with emphasis on student. 

June 2016 going into my 8th grade year we held our own soccer camp so players who were going to be on the team could get together and bond as well as train before the season.  One of the things we realized is that being friends as well as teammates makes a huge difference. We decided to set a goal of making it to the city championship. We ended up getting to the championship game with only 1 loss and our team set a middle school record with 104 goals. No other team in our school district out of 32 middle schools has ever done that. I contributed 51 goals and 17 assists. I was able to accomplish this with hard work and desire to be the best.

My college goal is to be on a college soccer team and to contribute any way I can. I would like to go to a program that emphasizes on teamwork and selflessness. From there I plan to play pro and be on the U.S. Women's National Team.