Christopher Williamson '16 Recruiting Profile

My name is Christopher Williamson and I have a real passion for sports. I actively participate in track and field, soccer, and skiing and have also played rugby and basketball for my school. I love all sports and actively follow athletics, the NFL, the NBA, soccer leagues across Europe, and international soccer.

I began my track and field career in 8th grade at the International School of Zug and Luzern, Switzerland, participating in the 100m and 200m sprint, and long jump. After my first track meet, my coaches were so impressed with my performance and attitude that I was named Middle School Athletics Captain. After a very successful season, competing against international schools from across Switzerland and Europe (within the Sports Council of International Schools (SCIS) federation), I was awarded with the athlete of the season award.

In 9th grade, my school took part in three major track meets, two of which were for all Swiss international schools, and the third being the European SCIS meet. In the Swiss track meets, including my heats I won 3/3 100m races, and 3/3 200m races taking gold in both events. In the European SCIS meet, I went into the finals as the 2nd seed for the 100m and 200m, but took gold in both events. At the end of school year academic awards banquet, I was awarded the Sports Person of the Year award for the 9th grade.

In addition to the school events, in summer 2012 I also took part in a Swiss youth open athletics competition where I won the finals for the Kanton (State) of Zug and then went on to represent Kanton Zug in the Swiss finals at the Letzigrund stadium in Zürich. In Zürich I came 5th place in my sprint. In summer 2013, I again won the Kantonal finals for Zug in the Swiss open youth athletics competition and represented Kanton Zug in the Swiss finals, placing 3rd. I also took part in the Swiss National Sprint Championships and went from the initial heats through to the quarter finals, semi finals, and eventually the finals where I placed 4th with a time of 9.47 seconds in the 80m sprint.

In April of 2014, I was elected captain of the High School track and field team. Firstly, we competed in the SGIS Championships that my school hosted and I took gold in the 100m, 200m, 4X100m, and 4X400m. I also got silver in the Long Jump. A week later we travelled to Budapest to take part in the SCIS European Championships where I took home 4 gold medals in the 100m, 200m, Long Jump and Triple Jump, and bronze in the 4X400m. Later in May we were in Berlin taking part in the ESC Championships where I then took home gold in the 100m, 200m, Long Jump, Triple Jump, 4X100m and silver in the 4X400m. In Berlin I managed to achieve my personal bests in the 100m (11.41s) and the 200m (22.98s). I ended the season receiving the Player of the Season at the sports awards banquet, and also Sports Person of the Year for the 10th grade.

To date, my track results have been achieved with non-specialized school sports coaching. Given my passion for track, I have recently joined an athletics club where I will be receiving specialized sprint training. Based on my initial training sessions, my new coaches believe that I can make significant improvements to my current best-times for 100m (11.41s) and 200m (22.98s). I am very excited about what I can achieve in my running and how this training can help me on the path to my ambitions - to run for my national team at the world championships and Olympics level.

After completing high school, I would like to study a degree that will enable me to work in a field close to sports. My current thoughts are to study Kinesiology and Exercise Science, if possible with a minor in sports management/marketing. I understand the importance of academic excellence (and enjoy my school work!) and will be taking a strong set of subjects at AP in order to prepare me well for university. In my junior year I will be taking Pre-AP Calculus, Pre-AP Biology, AP German, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, and English 11. In my senior year, I will take AP Calculus, AP Biology, AP Human Geography, English 12, and IB Sports Science.

In addition to my core math, science, and humanities subjects, I also enjoy languages. Growing up in Texas, with a Swiss mother and grandparents, I was exposed to German and Swiss German from a young age and have always enjoyed studying the language. I have taken German at school since my 4th grade and I continue to enjoy it and do well in it. I also began Spanish from my early days at school in Texas. Happily my school in Switzerland also started to offer a Spanish course during my 8th grade and I have been taking it ever since.

Putting athletics and academics aside, I have always enjoyed working with less fortunate people. In 5th grade, I worked in a small team of students that studied the experience of refugees in Switzerland and worked on how we could help them integrate them into the Swiss community and have a positive impact on their lives. We held fundraisers to raise money to support programs for the refugees and also collected clothes for the refugees and their families. In 8th grade, I helped organize further fundraisers, taking a lead of driving participation from other students. I also organized a soccer tournament for a group of refugees that visited our school.

At my high school, each week we work with our chosen community and service groups. In 9th grade I chose to work with an organization called ZuWebe that provides a workplace for disabled people. During these sessions we helped them with their work projects and created a bond with them that helps them feel a part of our school community. In 10th grade, I worked with a group called “Band-aid” where we performed for ZuWebe. In my junior year, I will participate in a group that is traveling to Bulgaria to work with the Cedar Foundation, an organization that takes in homeless children and provides them with shelter and an education.

I also plan to work on spreading my passion for sports. As part of a major 10th grade project, I wrote a beginners handbook to soccer which I am donating to the elementary school to be used to coach younger students how to play. I am also enrolling in a soccer coaching course to help younger children develop their skills and love for the game.