Calin McGonagle '21 Recruiting Profile

     Hi, my name is Calin McGonagle and I am a junior from Yarmouth, Maine. The highlight of my basketball career this far was making (and playing a key role on) with a highly competitive National AAU team last spring. Making the team was an honor I’d worked hard for for many years. I learned so much from playing at very high level with girls who challenged me on the court and a coach that inspired me to keep reaching to improve. Although this was an extremely exciting time and my skills and basketball IQ grew tremendously, I feel that the time I grew the most as an athlete was actually when I had just begun playing competitively. Very early in my career, I was cut from the dynamic and challenging AAU team I had played with the previous year (6th grade). It was a devastating event for me, but from that moment I have clearly understood that nothing is guaranteed and that in order to reach your goals you have to keep working harder than everyone else, every single day. Since that time I have sought every opportunity to develop my skills and deepen my understanding of this sport I love so much. It has been an incredible journey so far and through it I have met many high caliber people that I know I will be connected to throughout the rest of my life.

    My interests in what I would like to study in college have evolved primarily through the volunteer work I have engaged in for several years now, mostly working with children, at summer camps, the boys and girls clubs and most recently at an underprivileged preschool for early intervention. I enjoy working with kids immensely and have learned a great deal about how they interact with each other and the environment around them. Each experience has strengthened my desire to work in psychology and better understand children’s needs, how their minds work and how to help them on many different levels. My goal is to study human behavior, human functions, and human interaction and to work with children and adults. I grew up in a family focused on values, where behavior comes first, academics second and sports third, so my goals in school as well as in basketball have been to seek out courses and work that challenge me and help me grow. Overall I am looking for a school that will be able to match my desire to be challenged both academically and athletically.

    I have been very fortunate to be part of programs that are successful and growing, and I have learned a lot about dedication, mental toughness, leadership, and teamwork over the years. While I am looking for a program that values these qualities and challenges me both on the court and in the classroom, I want more than that. I want to be part of a team where the players and coaches are connected, where we push each other and all strive to reach our common goals together. I want to be in an organization that I will be part of for the rest of my life. I’m looking forward to achieving a dream that I have had for a long time and I believe that I have the work ethic, leadership skills, talent, and mental toughness to compete in your program and make an impact.