Kayla O'Keefe '25 Recruiting Profile

Before finding my love for basketball, I excelled in many other athletics, including soccer, ballet, volleyball, track, flag football, and Muay Thai where I became a 3x provincial champion and a 1x national champion. However, in 2019 while I never played basketball before, I was rewarded with the chance to play basketball for the city’s rep team. The first year I played basketball, for both my school team and rep team, I immediately found a love for it and decided that this was something I wanted to continue long-term. My coaches throughout grades 9 and 10 influenced me to become the player I am today because of how dedicated they were to my growth. They pushed me every day to become the best I am which is another reason why I became so interested in basketball. I knew with their wholeheartedness and the support of my parents and friends that I would only improve from there. 

Throughout the 3 seasons I have played basketball as a starting point guard, my teams have won a silver medal in Division 1, a gold medal in Division 2, and a gold medal in OBLX. In addition, we have placed top 3 in many regional tournaments. As for my school team, we have placed second in our region 2 years in a row. Unfortunately, in my junior year, I suffered an injury which paused my season but also allowed me to reflect on myself which improved my mental game. I used this time to improve my mobility and strength in other areas of my body which helped me overcome the injury faster. 

I am fortunate enough to have won the following awards throughout my high school athletic career so far: Athlete on the Rise, Junior Athlete of the Year, Senior Sportsmanship Award, Jr. Basketball MVP, Sr. Basketball MVP, Jr. Track MVP, and Flag Football MVP. With receiving these awards I have learned the value of hard work, leadership, teamwork, and commitment which not only provides me with the talent to play on a college team but also the mindset and resilience. I am dedicated to pursuing my passion and will work hard to find a program that will benefit me both academically and athletically.