Savannah Cheatham '22 Recruiting Profile

Although I excelled in solo sports for most of my life (competing in horse shows, dancing, and snowboarding) I was never completely happy in them. It wasn't until I discovered field hockey that I absolutely fell in love with a sport and wanted to pursue it in college and beyond. Finally being able to play with a team created an "Aha!" moment in my life where I felt truly involved in a sport due to the fact that I'm not only working to improve myself, I'm also working to strengthen my relationship with my team. 

This love for field hockey and team sports constantly drives me to challenge myself in new ways and to always push myself just a little bit harder. Having a background in solo sports, I am extremely coachable and always appreciate notes from coaches on how to further improve myself. I am incredibly driven both on and off the field, and am the type of player who tries to stay just a little bit longer after practice to get a few more shots or touches on the ball. As soon as I found my passion for field hockey, I completely immersed myself in it and got involved in as many clinics and practices as I could find. Through this, I became an even more confident and outgoing player and can walk into a clinic not knowing a single player and walk out having made new friends in the hockey world. My drive extends into all aspects of my life, and once I put my mind to something there isn't much I can't do. 

Being in gifted and honors classes throughout my entire academic career, I have learned to stay determined and work hard, even if the material doesn't come easy to me. I work as hard at school as I do at practice, and know how to balance the two to ensure that I am doing my best in both. With the amount of honors and higher level classes I have taken, I feel prepared for the college workload and have no doubt that I'll be able to handle it. In college, I want to major in Secondary Education to prepare for a career as a high school english teacher. I see myself involved in hockey for many years to come, because I aspire to be both a coach and a teacher for future students and athletes. 

I am looking for a program that will push me both physically and academically, while keeping a large emphasis on the importance of playing as a team. Although I prefer playing defense, I am a versatile player and am comfortable playing anywhere on the field from center forward all the way back to sweep. Something that puts me ahead as a defender is my speed. Because I can play anywhere on the field, I can also keep up with any player on the field, and can easily recover back as fast as my opponent. While I'm an assertive player, I treat every person that I meet both on and off the field with the utmost level of respect. I pride myself on my amazing sportsmanship, and never leave a game without thanking my coaches, the officials, and the opposing team.