Personal Statement
Hi, my name is Ayla Sietsma. I was born in Singapore and have lived in Indonesia for most of my life. In addition, I have lived in The Netherlands, Vietnam, and the United States. I don't think it gets more international than that! I am 5'4 and weigh in at 121lbs. I started my athletic career as a gymnast flipping on the sidelines of my older brother's soccer games, After watching him play game after game, I decided I wanted to give soccer a shot. By the age of 6, I had joined two teams including an all-boys team, and a girls team, and I began to work on developing my skills! Soon after at the age of 9, I was playing in the JSSL7's, Asia's Largest Youth Soccer Tournament, placing 2nd out of around 56 teams in our age division.
Ever since I can remember, I have been extremely active, playing at least five times a week. If there were a sports team and free time in my schedule, I would sign up, even if that meant not drying off after swim practice to race down to the soccer pitch. Although it might seem cliché, soccer is my life. I cannot imagine not having the game so that is one of the main reasons why I intend to play college soccer. I am willing to put in the time and effort to reach this goal.
My key strengths are speed, passing, shooting, determination, good ball skills, and a broad understanding of the game. I have a positive attitude and I will do everything it takes to win. I am also able to take skills from my other sports and incorporate it into my game (speed from track, and agility from gymnastics and rugby, etc). I am very coachable and desire constructive criticism in hopes to become the best player I can be. Something that makes me stand out is my drive and effort, whether it is running in the pacer test until I throw up, or playing through a swollen ankle to help my team win a medal. This attitude also reflects into my academics.
I am known for putting 110% into my academics withholding a 4.0 GPA and ending my freshman year with a final grade A+ from 5 out of my 9 classes. As a freshman, I also received three awards, the Scholar-Athlete award, White Letter award (which is given to students who participated in 2 or more varsity sports), and finally, I also won the Coaches Choice Award, which is given to the athlete that showed dedication, passion, skills, leadership, and set an example for the team. While I haven't made any final decisions, I am exploring pre-med, sports medicine/science, or any other majors that are a prerequisite for the MCAT.
I wish to attend a college where I am pushed both academically and athletically. I am open to ALL options and in the end, hope to find the college that fits me best. Above all else, I aspire to become a successful student and athlete, making myself and my family proud. Thank you for considering me.
