Matthew Burke '16 Recruiting Profile

Ever since I first started playing tennis (around nine or ten years old), I knew it was going to be the sport I wanted to play for the rest of my life. Playing college tennis would be an amazing way to meet new people, improve my game, and make lifetime memories. All of the coaches, teachers, and peers I've known have all told me that I'm a natural leader, an extremely hard worker, and a good decision maker, on and off the court/classroom. I've maintained a 3.5 (estimated) GPA, kept up with my social life, and try to practice/condition for tennis at least 2 hours a day; this shows I'm a very committed and well-rounded person. In 8th grade, I graduated with inductions into the National Honor Society as well as the Spanish National Honor Society, while also being one of the top in my class. Throughout my time in high school, since a freshman, I have played #1 singles on the varsity tennis team. Freshman year, I was 11-4 before I sustained a shoulder injury that kept me from playing for 3-4 months. This was a very difficult time; I had qualified for states, I was just starting to get my ranking up (USTA), and most importantly, I was proud of the player I had become. Since then, I've worked as hard as I possibly could; I received honorable mention from the FCIACs, I improved my forehand and volleys drastically (backhand is my better shot), and I believed I could get back to where I used to be. I think I'm different from other recruits in the way that I will never give up. If I fail, I just use it as a learning lesson and try to bounce back and get better and better. I'm hoping NCSA will help me find the right college that would be a great fit, for both tennis and school.