Isabel Harrold '21 Recruiting Profile

At a very young age, I loved the game of soccer. I love the pressure of trying to win a tied game or being down one and you just need that last goal, the feeling that you get when you make your first goal, the bod that you make with your teammates, the time that you back the goalie up and block a ball from going in the goal, and the crowd cheering for you when you make a cool move. There’s not one thing that I don’t love about soccer. I’ve had a lot of influences in my life. My parents have been a big influence. They have taught me all the basic skills I need in life, such as problem-solving, respect, stress management, reasoning, social skills, and many more. A teacher that I was very lucky to have also impacted my life and made me who I am today. She started out as just my creative writing teacher then asked me to be on the yearbook staff at my high school. Never in my life did I think I would be on the yearbook staff. I  joined because my best friend was going to join, so I thought it would be fun to be with her in that class. Turns out it’s something I love doing, I’m now the editor of this year 2020-21 yearbook staff. Not just my parents and teachers but also friends have been a big part of my life. Friends teach you a lot about yourself and you go through so many friends you’re always learning something new about yourself. They give you the feeling of belonging, fun, and laughter, they lend you that extra hand when you need it, offer you emotional support, and give you guidance when it’s needed. Soccer has taught me a lot in life too. It taught me how to work as a team, communicate well with others, how to be a leader, and to never give up. I became interested in the game of soccer in kindergarten. At that time I was all about doing the same thing my older sister was doing, I wanted to be just like her. But it also looked intense and because of my competitive nature, I was drawn in. Now I’m a senior in high school and have played soccer for 12 years (this will be my 13th). I have played for many different teams. I was asked to go and play with a boys traveling team, the Augusta Raptors. This was nerve-racking because you don’t see many girls on a boys team and it was a bit out of my comfort zone. I played one season with them, and if I didn’t I don’t think I would be where I am today with the sport. The coach for the team didn’t have my best interest at heart. This caused me to quit that team and go try out for other teams. This did take away my confidence on and off the field. That had to be built back up if I wanted to continue the sport. For about a year I just trained with coaches getting ready for the tryouts to start. I joined the sockers and have been with them ever since. The coach on the team really helped build my confidence back up along with all the trainers that trained me. The team I play for now has had many different names the sockers, FC Kansas City, Wichita Athletics, and now FC Wichita. Some unique characteristics and skills I possess are that I’m very independent, reliable, quick thinker, have great leadership abilities, trustworthy, responsible, and respectful. Some academic goals I have for myself is to strive for a 4.0 GPA, time management, never settle for less, overcoming failures, establish bonds of friendships. Athletic goals I have are to be captain in my senior year of high school, and I strive to be a better person on the field and off.