Kyleigh Mauldin '23 Recruiting Profile

My name is Kyleigh Mauldin and I am currently a senior at Merkel High School. I play many sports while maintaining a high GPA  in the classroom. Growing up my main focus was always softball until I began to live my testimony with basketball. 

In my sophomore year of high school, I got moved up to varsity and it was a huge change for me. I went from playing every game the entire game, to not playing a full minute throughout my first season on varsity. My coach destroyed my confidence after telling me I was too slow on defense to ever play for her, and that she gave me one too many chances during one of our games and that was why I had gotten pulled for the rest of the game. It also made it difficult because I had parents/students outside of basketball telling me I was an awesome ball player and how I should be playing over some of my other teammates. I dreaded playing basketball at all and I went home complaining about how bad I wanted to quit every single day. 

Time goes by and I finish off the season not getting much more playing time. I told my mom I didn't want to play my junior year but she had already signed me up for a PGC camp that summer. She told me that if I go to this camp and still don't want to play, then I don't have to. After attending this camp, I was an entirely different ball player. I completely re-fell in love with the sport I couldn't care for just a few months prior. 

In my junior year, I became a starter and never once came out of the game unless we were up 50/down 50 and our second string was playing. Close to the end of the year my coach called me into her office and told me I had been invited to play in the TGCA All-Stars game - a basketball game where the best of the best from all over Texas come to play. It was truly an honor and an amazing experience to play in this game.

Playing at the collegiate level has always been one of my biggest aspirations. Along with these dreams, I know what is expected to compete in higher-level competitions. This being said, a few traits include attitude, work ethic, dedication, versatility, and leadership. Work ethics have always played a huge role in everything I do, even in activities outside of basketball. Along with a good work ethic, I have always believed I am a strong leader - dedicated to improving individually and helping my teammates grow stronger. 

I'm determined to grow stronger as an athlete, student, and person and will do whatever it takes to become the best I can be.