Emma Waite '20 Recruiting Profile

    I started playing basketball when I was in 4th grade for my elementary school. Prior to that, my basketball experience ranged from making layups and playing pick-up with my younger brothers in the driveway to watching basketball games with my dad. I did not have much skills. Despite the lack of formal training, I ended up being one of the best players in the elementary league. This was because of my athleticism, drive and intensity, especially on the defensive end. Several years later,  I still value that fighting spirit every time I step on the court.

    Two other sports that have helped mold me as a basketball player are baseball and cross country. In fact baseball was my first sport at nine years old. I hung my bat after playing pony for two years. With baseball, I learned to be patient, strategic and move swiftly but with precision. We all know baseball is a game of failure, so from it I learned to endure negativity and push pass streaks of disappointing plays. The combination of skills, high level of stamina gained from running varsity cross country every fall, my “never give up” attitude along with my overall leadership skills have helped me overcome my biggest obstacle on the court. It is no secret that I am short and that being short is viewed as a disadvantage in basketball, but I do not play like I am short. I do not let consistent comments about my height get me down. In fact, it fuels me to strive harder and play smarter. All of the coaches I have had have praised me for never being afraid or backing down from a challenge and my ability to see the court. I have played every game exactly the same way, no matter the competition. 

    I strive and believe I have become one of the toughest guards defensively in the high school league. Apart from working on my speed, increasing my energy and efforts plus overall feistiness on the court, I have also worked very hard on improving my leadership skills on and of the court. After some struggles and help from my coaches, family and teammates, I have made being the coach on the floor one of my main priorities. I strive to do whatever I can to help all my teammates and make sure the team is running smoothly on and off the court. I believe that I will be able to use these same skills to serve a team at the collegiate level, while continuing to grow and learn to reach my highest potential as a student athlete.

    In closing, I must admit that who I am on the court is who I am off the court - I believe in pure hard work and putting in the efforts to transform my innate talents and intelligence in to skills and knowledge. By doing so, I am productive in the classroom, on the court and in my community.