Katie Graham '17 Recruiting Profile

Hi!  My name is Katie Graham.  I am a current student at Albuquerque Academy, a private high school here in New Mexico.  I have experienced the rigor of a pretty demanding school, I also play the clarinet as well as volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House.  However, I still find time for my favorite thing;  soccer.  I have played high school soccer for the last two years at the Academy.  Prior to moving to New Mexico, I played recreational soccer in Topeka, Kansas from ages four to ten.  When I was ten, my family moved to Rio Rancho which is really just a suburb of Albuquerque.  In my first year of tryouts I made one of the most competitive club teams in Albuquerque.  For the past four years I have played for the same club team as part of the the Albuquerque United Football Club.  I really enjoy soccer as it is very team centered.  I enjoy this style of play and think that it has really helped my skills on and off of the field.  High school has given me the chance to play with some extremely talented girls that I had not played with before, and learn from them as well.  On my club team I have played with many of the same girls for the last four plus years, so we have become pretty comfortable with each other which has helped me to become more comfortable exploring and expanding my own skills.  I have learned to respond to a couple of different names when in the presence of my club team, such as "brick wall", "kit kat", "moral compass", and, probably most obscure, "mom".   As captain of my club team for the past two years and my high school team last year, I have assumed a position of authority and leadership, and am responsible for answering all questions about uniforms, schedules, and meetings, and I love to do all of those things.  The main reason that my girls have come to call me mom is probably because of the relationship we have off of the field.  I have done my best to make it clear that I can always be someone they can call if they are in trouble, or need help, or they just want to talk.  As much as I love to play, that's my favorite thing about soccer --- I get to create amazing lasting relationships with 20 other amazing girls.  At the collegiate level I hope to be able to do all of these same things while also expanding my skill and understanding of the game.