My name is Rylie Bicknell (I am 5'4ish, 110 pounds) and I will be a Junior at Potsdam Central High School this fall. I would like to take a moment to tell you a little about myself and why I feel I would be a good fit for your sports team.
Being a student athlete is hard, there is no doubt about it, but being a scholar student athlete is harder.
I remember a few years ago my grandfather wrote in a card to me "Your brain will take you places that your legs cannot", and that stuck to me. Although I love sports and have always envisioned myself playing at the collegiate level, I also know my brain is my biggest asset and that.
With that, I have been taking advanced level coursework throughout high school and have maintained a 96 GPA. I am a three sport varsity athlete participating in soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse. On top of my school sports, I also play on a travel ice hockey team (St. Lawrence Steel-Canton, NY) and will start a travel lacrosse (Lake Effect Storm-Watertown, NY) team this fall. Though there isn't always a lot of extra time with practice and games as a student athlete, I still feel it is important to be a well-rounded student. I still make time to advocate for my school and classmates as a member of our student council. I volunteered to assist with youth sports (lacrosse) and I have held a summer job the past three summers.
This summer, I worked as a lifeguard our community beach while also participating in a soccer league, a few ice hockey development camps/tournaments, and optional skills and drills sessions with our Varsity Lacrosse Coach twice/week. I know as an athlete, you have to put in the work all year, not just in season.
My ultimate goal is to study medicine and become a physician, as it has been since I was in preschool (cheesy, but true) and I have the picture to prove it:)). Being a collegiate athlete will help me to achieve this goal. I know what it takes to manage studies, work and sports at a high school level, and I have no doubt I can manage it at the collegiate level as well. Playing sports is what gives me an outlet for my mental health. Being on the field or the ice is not "work for me". It is my happiness. It keeps me focused and driven, all traits an athlete should have.
I don't love talking about myself, but if I had to say the one thing that I bring to the table that others do not, it would be my speed. I am known to be one of the fastest girls in section 10 sports and am often asked why I didn't run track. You can learn and teach handling and stick skills, but you can't teach speed. It is an asset that I have used and developed to help me be successful. I work hard to be fast and stay fast so I can beat my opponent to the puck or ball because as in the words of Ricky Bobby, "If you're not first, you're last!
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