Madison Kelly '21 Recruiting Profile

I started playing basketball when I was 5 years old beginning with the Upward league at my church and then elementary school. In the summer after my fifth-grade year, I started playing travel basketball. From there I went on to play in middle school and in my sixth grade year we won the sectional tournament which was a great experience to have been a part of that team. I then started playing with my Flight travel ball team in exposure tournaments. The exposure tournaments were completely different from anything I had played in before with the best players from all over the country playing to win a tournament. I proved to myself that it doesn’t matter where or who I’m playing against, I just had to play how I had always played, with heart and aggression. From there, I then went on to play in high school and was on the varsity team as a freshman. I had the opportunity to play with several very talented girls who quickly became my role models. Playing basketball has given me some of the best friends and memories that I could ever have. 

My grit, resilience and being a "coach-able" player are what set me apart from other players. Throughout my years of playing basketball, I have found that I have really grown to be a more confident player and person. I used to be very timid and wasn't sure of my role on the team, but this past year has shown me that I can be one of those key players. I started out my junior year with a goal to be in the starting lineup; I learned that the spot in the starting lineup had to be earned. I also learned that I would have to push myself and others during practice to prove myself worthy of that key position. Going into my senior high school season, it is my goal to be the team leader and to work daily toward my goal of playing at the next level.