Grace Golembiewski '19 Recruiting Profile

My name is Grace Golembiewski and I am a current junior at Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, Ohio. I have been playing field hockey for about six years now and I have fallen in love with the sport ever since I could get my hands on a stick and ball. I have been looking at schools within the Mid-West and North-East regions that have a strong athletic training program or other related studies such as exercise science, as well as an outstanding field hockey program.

Before I learned about field hockey, I was a competitive gymnast for several years and was set on a my future, until I injured myself during a tumbling pass. While I was recovering, I realized that I wanted to focus on sustaining my 4.1 GPA and join my classmates in a few school athletics (Field Hockey, Basketball, Track). I also wanted to join a team where I had to learn to trust other teammates in order to succeed, instead of relying solely on myself. My time as a competitive gymnast has helped me become a better athlete and taught me skills that transfer into my field hockey. For instance, I have learned to make myself strive for excellence, be mentally tough and persistent. After a fall on the beam, I had to get back up and finish my routine with confidence and pride. Gymnastics trained me to be calm in stressful game situations and to stay completely focused and engaged during practice, conditioning, and games. My teammates often say that I have a straight face and a strict work ethic when I play hockey, like the Queen of England’s palace guards. Other things, like managing my time around rigorous practices and extensive conditioning workouts have also become natural for me after experiencing four to five hours a day of gymnastics practice. The long hours of intense practices have also prepared me to give all of my energy to every conditioning drill, practice and game no matter how exhausted or beat down I may be. 

Overall, as a student and player, I am not one to give up or get discouraged easily. I pay attention to the tiniest of details, I persevere in difficult situations and when I get shut down, I just get back up and try again until I get it right or prove those who said "I couldn't," wrong.