Kori Baker '18 Recruiting Profile

I have grown up in a sports-oriented environment. My dad coaches our top U11-U13 teams in our club, and my mom is the head track coach at my high school.  My mom was an All-American 400m runner at Arizona State and my dad was a Long Jumper and Placekicker at Arizona State before playing for two years in the NFL.  I have two sisters who also play soccer and basketball. I also have aunts and uncles who ran track and played football and basketball at the professional and collegiate levels.

One thing that has most definitely shaped me as an individual and player was my freshman year of high school when I was placed on the JV soccer team. At first, I was upset and very disappointed in myself. However, looking back on the experience now, making JV was one of the most beneficial things that could have happened to me. My desire to prove myself as both a player and leader grew stronger and stronger as the season went on. I was picked as JV team captain and strived to unite our team and display hard work and discipline on and off the field.  I was motivated to improve my skills and learn how to play various positions so that I could become a versatile player. As the season went on, I had many opportunities to swing up to varsity and play a higher-level, faster-paced game. When the varsity team made it to playoffs, the coach offered me a spot to play alongside my very talented, varsity teammates. One of those teammates, a US National Team player who now plays at Clemson, serves as one of my biggest influences, as we played soccer and ran track together, both balancing two sports during the spring. Through this experience I learned the value of commitment, teamwork, and trust. At the season-ending banquet, I was presented with a varsity letter and junior varsity MVP award. Undeniably, my freshman year of high school soccer allowed me to grow as a player, gain confidence, and discover a tremendous love for the game.