Lindsey Crowe '22 Recruiting Profile

I started playing soccer when I was 4 years old, my dad was the coach of most of my teams growing up and has always been my number 1 supporter! Soccer is something that we've always shared and is most topics of our conversations. Growing up I have always enjoyed playing soccer, I've made the best of friends through all the teams i've been apart of and have really seen soccer as a outlet to escape the void my mother leaves me as she is an addict. Every team I have been apart of has been family and has always supported me and wanted me to succeed. 

Then during the start of my sophomore year of highschool I was recruited to play with an ecnl team about 2 hours away from home. I was so excited and motivated to now be apart of the ecnl and get top recruiting opportunities to play college soccer and to make a new "family."  The girls were not accepting of me at all and their attitudes and demeanor were always negative towards me. Initially the negativity directed towards me did not deter me. However when I would ask questions to my coach, I would always get vague and unhelpful answers to help me learn and improve as a player. I came to realize the girls have been playing with each other for years and were unaccepting of outsiders. As time went on I began to have a negative relationship with soccer, It was not a positive environment and I was so consumed as to what everyone else thought about me. When covid struck I was so close to quitting soccer but was able to take a much needed break and really think of what I could be potentially giving up. I decided to move on from the club I was with and started focusing on myself and began training everyday sometimes even twice a day to build my skill and strength. I reached out and contacted the other ecnl clubs near me to hopefully get a tryout and make a new team that I can truly be a part of. As soon as covid permitted, I began trying out for multiple teams at once, driving from one to another in the same day almost everyday for 4 weeks. I accepted a roster spot with the ecnl club I am with currently and instantly fit in and have never been so happy playing soccer. I learned so much from my previous team, and overcoming that hardship is what has made me the player I am today. Stronger, better, and overall happier!!