Katherine Van Tassel '22 Recruiting Profile

I started playing soccer at the age of three. From the very first time I tagged along at my older brother’s soccer practice, I immediately fell in love with the game. The energy. The strategy. It fascinated my toddler mind in so many ways, and I was eager to learn more. 

Over the years, the soccer field has become a second home to me, teaching me many valuable lessons and nurturing my growth as an athlete and an individual. Through my progression from a bench player when I first joined my club team to a starter and captain a few years later, soccer taught me to apply 110% effort in pursuit of my goals and to always learn from and find inspiration in those around me. When I lived in France for a year and was ridiculed for playing a “boy’s sport,” I learned to be confident in my skills as I showed my opponents just how well girls can dominate on the soccer field. With every game, every practice, and every gym session, soccer has molded me into the determined, hard working, encouraging, and coachable person I am today.

On the field, I have strong foot skills and 1v1 techniques that I use both offensively and defensively. I am very vocal and love to find ways to emerge from the back to participate in the attack. My positive mindset helps me to be an encouraging leader for my teammates as I work to develop a competitive team environment that practices good sportsmanship. Also, I highly value criticism and self-reflection as the foundation for growth, utilizing them in order to improve myself as a student, athlete, and recruit.

Applying these traits to my academics, I have worked hard to achieve a 5.039 GPA. I also enjoy participating in my school’s drama club, environmental club, and the National Honor Society, as well as being a volunteer tutor at The Neighborhood Place in New Haven. I love contributing to the creation of a positive community, and my goal is to do just that at a college where I may challenge myself academically and athletically as I prepare for a future career in the sciences. I hope that, through my college soccer experience, I may help our team to grow and improve as we strive for success together.