Kailey Annesi '22 Recruiting Profile

I am an ambitious, hard-working student-athlete excited to make the transition from high school to college. I am a possession-oriented central midfielder that relies on exceptional vision and field awareness, precise passing ability and a sound tactical understanding of the game to impact the teams I play for. While I have been amongst the team leaders in goals scored and points achieved 3 of last 4 years for my club and travel teams, my most impressive playing quality is that my style of play generally makes the players around me better. In addition to having a GPA of 3.71 while taking advanced placement and honors-level courses, I participate in community and club events and volunteer my time at my local community library. I enjoy art and fitness-related activities, but mostly enjoy training and coaching young girls the game of soccer. 

During my middle-school years, I experienced an extremely rare ailment that took me away from the game I love. It was referred to as an accessory navicular…meaning I had an extra bone in my foot that caused a recurring amount of significant pain. Not only did it prevent me from playing soccer, but the level of pain even made it difficult to walk without crutches. Despite this setback of being unable to play soccer for a significant period of time, I went to every club practice (3 days per week) for over a year and sat on the sidelines to absorb valuable instruction from my coaches. During this time, the only soccer-related activity I could endure was performing Coerver ball mastery techniques. Ultimately, this persistence allowed me to play with a vision and awareness that my teammates do not commonly possess and do things technically with the ball that several of my teammates cannot easily do. Overall, it enabled me to gain an in-depth understanding of the game that I would otherwise not have appreciated. Not only did I make the most of a less-than-desirable situation from an athletic perspective, but the experience has ultimately led to an interest in pursuing a pre-medical curriculum.

While this situation was difficult at the time, it strengthened my character, reinforced my determination, and taught me that the ability to remain positive can be rewarding. These happen to be some of the character traits and qualities that now best describe me. I believe I possess the talent to compete at the next level and the work ethic and character to make those around me better. I hope to someday play the game I love at the collegiate level alongside teammates that view the beauty of the game, the importance of education and the value of being part of a team working to achieve a common goal the same way I do. I look forward to many new and exciting experiences my college journey may bring, but mostly look forward to making a difference both on and off the field.