Kaia Usher '23 Recruiting Profile

I have been playing soccer since I was 6. I have always loved the sport, but I can’t say I’ve always seen myself playing at the college level. It wasn’t until I joined my first club team in 2019 that my true love for soccer began to show. When I joined, my skills and speed of play were far less advanced than the other girls'. I found myself working harder and staying longer to keep up with them. I realized at that time that, although I was putting in all this effort to get better, I was enjoying it. I was enjoying learning and improving, but most of all, I was enjoying playing. During this time, I had made up my mind to continue my soccer journey and play college soccer.

I believe I am a well-rounded player, but I especially excel playing in attacking positions, more specifically the 7, 9, or 11. I am explosive and work hard on and off the ball. I am great at getting defenders off balance using body feints and footwork. I also have strong physical fitness, strong mental toughness, and a high soccer IQ. I strive to perfect the small, basic things and watch everything fall into place from there. I tend to stay after training is over to practice individual skills I believe need to be touched up. 

Not only do I work hard on the field, but I also work hard off of it as well. I study hard to maintain a high GPA. I have taken AP and honors courses all four years and have been inducted into the National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation with my grades. For four consecutive years, I have been on the Principal’s Honor Roll at my school. I am also the secretary and co-founder of my school’s sports medicine club. My main job is to lead bi-weekly meetings, recruit members from sports medicine and health classes, and maintain & organize records of all important documents for the club.

Additionally, I am part of the sports medicine team at my school. I often shadowed our school’s athletic trainer (AT) at games and provided any assistance needed. I also helped student-athletes get sports medicine services when the AT was busy and helped reduce the number of injuries in student-athletes by providing extra hands and eyes for the AT. 

In college, I want to study pre-med, so I’ve taken numerous classes that will help with that. I am a successful completer of two CCR/CTE (College and Career Readiness/Career and Technical Education) pathways: patient care and public safety. I believe my workload has prepared me to balance college athletics and academics.

I want to attend a college where I will be pushed both on the field and in the classroom. I also wish to participate in a school that supports me when I need it and focuses on not just me as an athlete or a student but as a person.