Khalil Hager '21 Recruiting Profile

          I have loved to run for as long as I can remember. When I was four years old, my parents signed me up for youth soccer, and I earned the nickname Lil Pele because I moved so quickly with the ball. At six, I played youth basketball and football. My natural speed was evident on the football field, and I often held the running back position. When I was nine years old, my dad, a former track star student-athlete, recognized my inherited talent for speed, and he signed me up for youth track. I have spent nearly a decade of my life on the track, and excitedly, I look forward to many more years, including competing at the professional level. 

         As a multi-sport athlete, I have learned many lessons beyond the court, field, and track; however, running track, I believe the foundation of many sports, has taught me much about myself. Track has been the greatest sports influencer in my life. Growth spurts, injury, and rehabilitation have challenged me, but through it all, I have learned that I can persevere. When I first began hurdling, I tripped over the hurdle and broke my wrist, but I did not hesitate to return to hurdling. At State competition my freshman year, I stumbled over the second hurdle after getting out first, and I kept going to the finish placing last.  When I ran the 200m at Regionals my sophomore year as District Champion, I injured my hamstring at the curve, but I finished the race knowing State qualification ceased at that moment. 

        At this time in my life, injury, recovery, and COVID19 have inserted obstacles that have delayed my goals and eliminated my opportunity to compete as a Junior, now rising Senior, but I am not defeated. To manage my mental and emotional focus to accept life’s unexpected challenges have enabled me to possess a great level of perseverance. Perseverance is an attribute to not only my success, but to the success of my team. This, along with knowing my goals as a collegiate level performer, my responsibility as a representative of my school, and the importance of being an asset to my team makes me an excellent team candidate.  First, knowing my goals enables me to stay focused, organized, and guidable towards maintaining excellence in both athletics and academics. My humble and calm personality easily allows me to disassociate myself from potentially regretful situations that would cause harm to myself, my family, team, or the school’s program. Lastly, being coachable and a team player is invaluable for seeking opportunities for leadership and helping to maintain a strong program. 

         I desire for my talents from the classroom to the track to allow me to attain my undergraduate degree in Psychology or specifically Sports Psychology while competing on a collegiate track team. I aim for a collegiate athletic career that will create real-life experiences to build on my experiences as a youth athlete to become attributes to my degree. Opportunities to observe, understand, and relate to coping with the stresses, injuries, victories, and failures of an athlete and even a coach will be invaluable to my studies in Sports Psychology. Ultimately, I intend to complete a degree plan to attain my Ph.D. 

        As a student-athlete, I am in pursuit of a school that possesses a competitive rigor academically and athletically, a high student-athlete graduation rate, and a dedicated team to provide opportunities for advanced degrees, professional opportunities, and career placement. Although I was not able to compete during my junior season, I believe the momentum gained from my freshman and sophomore seasons would have propelled me towards something great. I am more determined than ever by my passion for the sport and by my drive to succeed. I am grateful for the opportunities destined for me. #KhalilRuns.