Ella Smith '27 Recruiting Profile

My name is Ella Smith. I am 16 years old and a 10th grader (Class of 2027) at King George High School in King George, Virginia. I have been playing field hockey for about 4 years (shortly after my family transferred back to the US from Europe), and I am looking forward to continuing my athletic career in college. I play field hockey for my school, as well as year-round travel for Panthers United Field Hockey Club (previously for High Voltage). I played Junior Varsity for KGHS my eighth-grade year, and was one of only two Freshman on Varsity during the 2023 Fall season. I am usually a utility player, but I enjoy playing as a forward. This past high school season (Fall of 2024), I had a hip injury that sidelined me for most of the season.  I completed rehab through the Winter Indoor season of 2024-25, and am back on the field for the Spring 2025 travel season with Panther's U-16 RCC/JPOL Team.

I am enrolled in the Commonwealth Governor’s School program at King George HS, as well as being involved in my school’s Naval Junior ROTC program in which I am in my second year and on the Company Staff as a Public Affairs Chief (assistant). One of the classes I take for CGS is called Culminating, where we work on a four year project.  My project involves growing field hockey in King George County, first through weekend clinics for elementary and middle school students, then in the County Parks and Recreation division, and finally working to get a middle school team started. My first "Stick 2 Play-In" clinic was run at the beginning of April 2025 with six young girls (aged 6-10) participating, and supported by my high school team. I applied for the 2024 USA Field Hockey Bessant Grow the Game grant for this project, but unfortunately did not get selected.

In college I am looking to major in Forensic Chemistry, Forensic Science, or Chemistry to achieve my goal of having a career as a NCIS or FBI agent.