Ashly Kinney '17 Recruiting Profile

I have played basketball since about the 7th grade. I never really started to have a passion for it until about 8th grade. Many girls have started earlier than me and have got to become outstanding players at such a young age.  Some stayed right where they were because they never really work on their skill set or core training.  I played 2 years off middle school but didnt really take interest until my last year. I was on varsity my freshman and sophmore year of high school. Our program at Ocoee HIGH is  filled with distractions so i decided to focus on training because our situation was hindering my growth as a player.  I am currently starting a new program at West Orange High School with the hopes of setting the tone of hard work with a positive attitude to promote good team chemistry.  Since i started so late I realize  that I have to push myself harder to quickly breach the gap of more experienced players.  I let the fact that i was the underdog at one point push me. I realize that I have some weaknesses but i do also have many strengths. My strengths would be  improved shooting form, faster foot work on defense and being a visual player. From the hours of training i have put in to having to adjust my shot for the 5th time i keep working until it is technical and smooth. I feel much better about the direction I am going with improving my shot.You can  trust me when i say i am not done until it is perfected. While on defense i am working on becoming a more agressive person. I want my opponent to come at me,  I enjoy the challenge and relish the opportunity to play.  Being a visual player does not mean you just see all the court, it means you know what you should do when you should do it and why you should be doing it. Being a visual player has helped me be able to read a defense more clearly.  When i am on offense i know every position of every play. I understand that in college there is so much more information with multiple formations so staying focused and being prepared is essential. Being prepared helps teach  you to have great court vision and be able to get the basketball to the hoop or get the ball from your opponent. Although those are some good strengths, i do have some weaknesses. My main weakness is foot work speed and confidence. I believe in order to be the best it matters about how fast you are going to be. This is why i put countless hours training working on foot work drills with my basketball trainer Bruce Gilliard and with my cardio trainers from Getting Better Everyday training facility. I also work with a shooting coach and a situational ball handling coach. Understanding  that i started late and am most likely behind other girls i use that  everyday to push myself in practices. One of my favorite coachs would be Coach Geno Auriemma from the Uconn's Women's Basketball program. He says that his girls practice so hard that when they play in the game it is easy. This is why i work the way i do and i believe in the things i do because you can't just expect to get onto the court and be good or expect to get a college offer if you don't have the grades or work ethics. It takes playing basketball and working out over and over. I am fortunate that i have parents that help me to realize my goals and am blessed to have what many girls take for granted. 

        My goal in college is to go to a great school that i can one do something in the medical or sports medicine field that allows me to also play basketball.. I would be a great candidate for any team for many reasons. Like i  stated previously i have the work ethics and ability to play basketball and believe in getting better every day . I also feel that the hard work i do for basketball must carry over  into the classroom. . Many girls think that if you are the great player any school will take you no matter what the grades you have are but they do not realize how wrong they are. Basketball is a blessing to be able to play but school has and always will come first. If you do not have the grades to make it then you should not be playing. Grades to me is like getting paid, the better work you do the better the possible achievement  or in this case the better grade you get. In school i personally believe you should push yourself to the maximum . Challenge yourself when you take a hard class that is really going to make you study harder to learn more.. In the real world your not just going to be handed things you have to go earn them  I am willing to put in the time and effort on and off the court to improve myself and get a scholarship.  This is why i would be a good candidate for any University or college.  Currently its been a year since I made this profile and am working with an excellent trainer on my shot. Her name is Jacky and she played D1 at Dartmouth. She has improved my shot dramatically and we are working on better ball handling skills. I have improved my conditioning and am working on being more explosive.