Tessa Love '26 Recruiting Profile

My name is Tessa Love. I am starting my senior year at Pembroke Academy. I am from a rural town, Chichester, just outside of Concord, NH. I have been playing basketball since kindergarten, starting out from a program in my K-8 school. My mother, who played college basketball at Plymouth State, put me into basketball at a young age, knowing my height and growing love for the sport would take me far. Due to the lack of younger teams in my area, we weren’t offered to play on a team till middle school (5th grade). Since that time, I have played on a team every year since (JV Freshman team, swing player for JV and Varsity sophomore year and Varsity my junior and senior year. This past summer (2025) I tried out and made the AAU team, No Wasted Reps and played against many competitive teams in PA, NY, MA, NJ and along the NH coast. It was a great opportunity for me to build my confidence and hone my skills as a power forward. I learned post moves so I could use my height to my advantage more. Every game I had very diverse stats with points, steals, assists and blocks. I also learned how to defend bigger and stronger girls along with smaller, quicker girls. I was awarded the Heart Award, identified as the rock of the team, the glue, and heart of our JV team my freshman year. Along with being a varsity-JV swing for my sophomore year, I had suffered a severe sprain during varsity practice. I was devastated. My heart broke when the doctor said I had to prepare myself for the possibility of my season being over. I worked hard during my two month-long recovery. This included an air cast, crutches, three plaster casts, PT twice a week and going to every practice I could for both JV and Varsity, even if just to watch what was being taught, so I could rejoin the team during the season and know what to do. I was determined to prove myself, even on the sidelines. When I could finally come back, it took me a couple weeks to regain my confidence and not worry about reinjuring myself. I started playing like I was never injured or scared of reinjury. This really helped me earn my JV starting spot back. This season was definitely difficult for me, but the lack of playing time and my injury pushed me to want to practice more so I could get better. I wanted to be better, and my efforts have paid off.

Why me? I think I am dedicated and hard working both on the court and in the classroom. I have been in the top ten of my class of two hundred for three years and have maintained that as I get ready to begin my senior year. I get everything done on time and beyond the requirements. A majority of my classes are honors courses. Alongside sports and academics, I work, usually directly after school and on the weekends, if I can. In the winters, I volunteer at my old elementary and middle school to run the game clock for the basketball program so I can stay involved in my community. After high school, I would like to stay involved on the court somehow, such as an athletic trainer, physical therapist with interest in photography.