Taylor Gurda '13 Recruiting Profile

I am a 5'5" junior from Slate Hill, New York and will graduate in the 2013 class.  For the past 8 years I have been part of the USTA, and I try to participate in as many tournaments as possible.  When I am not competing I practice during the week and on the weekends.  Working on my technique, strategy, and conditioning are some of the areas that my coach focuses on. During the summer I play 5 hours each day for 8 weeks.  I spend those 5 hours working on all parts of my game, trying to improve in as many areas as I can. 

I have been the number one singles player on my high school tennis team for 3 years.  I have also been the captain of my team since freshman year, and I love having the responsibility of preparing the girls for future matches.  One of my strengths that took many years to obtain is my mental game.  No matter what happens on the court my main focus is to stay positive; that has stuck with me for about 4 years now.  I plan to pursue a university with a very good academic reputation, specifically in the health sciences program.  For me, this will be an important factor during the college selection process.  Paying less out-of-pocket expense is a goal of mine becuase financial assistance is a very important factor to my family.  That will also play a role when I decide where to continue my academics and tennis career.  I am open to exploring schools of all divisions, and I am open-minded when it comes to the size of the college  and its location.  I look forward to the new experiences I will partake in when talking to coaches and visiting schools.