Kira Mitchell '21 Recruiting Profile

I have been playing soccer for 10 years and began playing competitively in the 4th grade. My collegiate goals and aspirations are to tackle the fields of psychology or law in order to be able to defend or speak for those who cannot do so themselves. I have always been an advocate for people who are struggling and as I have gotten older I have learned how to support people in situations that are difficult for them.  I have to credit my need to help and fight for others to my teammates on the soccer field.  All teams I have played on are made up of a very close-knit group who always support one another. Whether it's been a tough game or one player is frequently getting tackled, my teammates and I are there to encourage them to stay strong and provide support. My positions on the field have allowed me to develop skills that aid me in supporting my team. For example, in the midfield, your head is always on a swivel and your presence is needed all throughout the field, and therefore, when one teammate is continuously getting blocked by an opponent, I have the ability and composure to provide them with an open pass or defend them so my teammate can pass. This makes me a good candidate for your team because players need to have the ability to trust that their teammate has their back and has the ability to control the ball when received. 

Over the years I have practiced my skills of defensive stance and control, offensive passing and shooting, dribbling, transitional skills (from defense to offense), long ball kicks, short passes, and controlling the midfield. I began playing Co-Ed soccer for my school in the 4th grade and have continued to play for the school, encouraging other girls to join the team. In the 9th grade, I began to play on a girl's LARAZA club team run by Coach Joseph Limeburner and continue to play with this team today as a defensive midfielder or outside back (left). My club coach has trained me to be a very versatile player and support the team when needed; I am grateful for this because he recognizes my ability to tackle a challenge and guides me through the process of becoming a player he can use throughout the field. This makes me different from other recruits in both character and athletics because I have the ability to play in 4 positions on the field, switching between my right and left foot comfortably and I am not opposed to going where my team needs me. I am also open to further developing my skills whether it be in a current position or a new one.

While athletics is very important to me I have not let that hurt my academic abilities, I am one of the top students in my year and continue to seek further understanding of all subjects, especially English and Math. I love trying to discover the deeper meaning and applying it to my everyday life whether that be on the field or off. 

When I was in 10th grade I was recruited from my club to play on the USVI U17 Women’s National Team, composed of players from St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. The first year the team was run by coach Francis Lee, and I was playing in two positions as a #5 and a #2. 

 My highest level of football was in 11th and 12th grade, playing for the U17 National Team in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers playing against teams like  St Kitts, Barbados, Antigua, and Belize where I had the honor of starting every game for the US Virgin Islands.  In these games, I was given the role of a #2 and sometimes the  #7.  The head coach of the US Virgin Islands U17 FM team is Joseph Limeburner

Soccer has been a part of my life for a very long time and provides me with a way to disconnect from the world and just focus on the game. I would love to continue playing soccer in college because of the concentration, happiness, and determination I gain from it.