Nicole Gillis '21 Recruiting Profile

I started playing soccer when I was six years old. I knew from the very beginning that soccer was my sport. I’ll never forget my first header goal at age 10, which was the tournament winning goal. That moment taught me what I was truly capable of and motivated me to always be the best I can be. My dad coached soccer for several years and when I was little, my “bedtime stories” consisted of a game clipboard and talking through game scenarios and creating plays. One thing that I think makes me stand out as a player, aside from my skills and ability to play multiple positions, is how I “see” and truly understand the game and I have my dad’s coaching to thank for that.  

I have overcome some big obstacles in soccer. During my soccer career, I have torn both ACL’s. I persevered through surgeries and months of physical therapy to return to soccer. I believe most people would have stopped playing at that point but that was never an option in my mind. I am determined to play at the college level and have become a stronger person, both physically and mentally, because of those experiences. Fortunately, I have fully recovered and returned to playing soccer. During all of this, I was able to maintain my studies and class rank of #1.