Kara Thompson '22 Recruiting Profile

I started soccer at a very young age and although I played multiple sports, soccer has always stood out to me. I most appreciated that there was always a new skill or technique to learn as I embrace challenge. Growing up in a rural area I have always had to work to find opportunities to play at a higher level. I have learned not to become comfortable playing at my current level but to expose myself to challenges that help me develop and grow. At a young age I was able to do this on a boys team which helped my speed of play and game awareness and later joined the Olympic Development Program in Eastern Pennsylvania. While ODP provided opportunity to play in more competitive environments the level of individualized coaching and practice was not enough. Prior to my sophomore year in high school I made the decision to join a developmental academy team. The decision to join the team was not difficult, but came with hours of commitment traveling for practices and games. I have focused my attention on academics and soccer in order maintain my excellence in both.   I have steadily improved all aspects of my performance since my being on the academy team and it brought to my attention the level of which I needed to work in order to improve. My hard work and dedication has contributed to my success on the soccer field.

              One of my largest frustrations has been the COVID pandemic in that I was finally becoming more comfortable and confident on my new team. I adapted to the level of play and was finding my success on the field when all activity was cancelled. During the down-time, I stayed active with focused effort on conditioning, strength, and individual soccer skills. Fortunately, I am now back playing games for both my Academy and High School teams and my dedication and hard work during the shut-down are evident on the field. I am very motivated to play college soccer and continue to advance my abilities.