Ellie Ronan '21 Recruiting Profile

My name is Ellie Ronan and I am a 6'2" F/C with a 3.97 GPA in the class of 2021. I am very focused and work extremely hard both in the classroom and on the court. I am looking for a strong academic school with a competitive basketball program that will push me to reach my full potential, because I know I have a lot of growth left in my game. 

My basketball journey is not typical. I played rec basketball from 2nd-5th grade and loved it, but stopped to focus on club soccer, cross country and Tae Kwon Do, where I eventually earned my black belt. I realized when I began high school how much I missed basketball, so I decided to try out. My high school has a very strong program and competes in a highly competitive conference, so I knew I was in for a challenge. I thrive when I'm challenged, though, so I was up for it. I made the Freshman B team as a starter and we went undefeated in our conference. I worked hard on my own coming into my sophomore year and made the JV team. I wasn't a starter but I worked hard at every practice and gave my all in every minute I played. I learned what it means to be a good team player, always encouraging my teammates even if I didn't get as much playing time as I wanted. After my sophomore season, I knew I wanted to take my game to the next level, so I tried out for All in Athletics. I made the 17U Elite Silver Gauntlet Team as a starting post and had my first taste of high-level AAU competition. Most people with my level of basketball experience would probably be intimidated, but I wasn't. Instead it lit a fire in me and I was hooked. I realized how much I love posting up against strong players who push me to dig deep. The harder I'm pushed the better. Traveling to tournaments all around the country and bonding with my teammates and coaches was the best part of my summer. After that experience, I decided to stop playing soccer and running cross country and focus fulltime on basketball. I played in All -In's Fall league with both my high school team and an All-In team and began extra training with Kahleaf Russel of All-In to improve my post play. I ended being the only post from JV to make the Varsity team. I wasn't a starter but was consistently the number 3/4 post to sub in (we play 3-2) and had the highest field goal percentage. I am proud of the part I played in helping my team win Regionals and finish the season 26-7. I have moved up to All-In's 17U Elite Gold Gauntlet team for the Summer 2020 season and can't wait to get back on the court!

I know that when I work hard and persevere I can do anything I set mind to. I've seen this not just on the court, but in my academics, my Tae Kwon Do, and in my high school band career where I made the top band Sophomore year and have been the leader of the trombone section since Junior year. When I make mistakes or things don't go my way, I don't let it affect how hard I work or how hard I play. I can't do anything to change my mistakes. All I can do is keep moving forward. This applies to my basketball career in general, also. Looking back, of course I wish that I had focused on basketball at a much younger age, but there is nothing I can do about that now except keep working as hard as I can on my game. I know that I have so much growth left in me and I want to find a competitive program at a strong academic school that will push me to reach my full potential as a basketball player.