Anna Kimball '19 Recruiting Profile

I was always considered a tomboy. From a very young age it became clear I was not interested in dolls and makeup. To go along with the passion for sports I was very strong-willed and independent. I wouldn’t let my mother do my hair or dress me up I would much rather do that stuff myself (even if the clothes didn’t match). That’s why it was no surprise when I was put into sports I fell in love with them. I started out with soccer. Back then we were just running around and trying to get the ball in the little 2x4 goals. Nonetheless, I fell in love with it. However, I wanted more than soccer, I soon started every other sport, volleyball, basketball, softball, I even had a spout with flag football. Sports would come and go, I would play them for a few seasons then decide to move on to a new one. The exception to this was soccer, I started it before any of others and never stopped.

No matter what sport I was playing, I always aspired to take on the leadership, setter, point guard, pitcher, and even quarterback. I had a passion for leading others. Because of that, it was no surprise I wanted to take on the role of goalkeeper. Goalkeeping was a perfect fit for me from the start because not only could I be a leader, but I had no problem, and in fact enjoyed getting down and dirty. Being a goalkeeper is my true passion in life and gives me the best feeling in the world. When I step on the pitch in that bright neon jersey I feel complete.

Right after my ninth birthday, things changed. My mother was diagnosed with cancer. From then on, soccer became more than a sport to me, it was my escape. It was the one place where I could think about other things than what was going on home and I could just focus on the ball and two goals. When I was 11, my mother passed away. We went from a family of four to a family of three. Being the only girl in a house with my dad and brother was hard and felt separated. My biggest remaining connection to my dad was sports. So I kept playing not only because I loved it and, quite frankly, needed it, but I knew it helped my dad as well. Soccer was then my savior and by 13 I knew I never wanted to stop and that I wanted to play in college and maybe someday in the pros.

My aspirations in soccer are what I spend everyday working for, but my academics have always and will always come first. I was straight A student in middle school, never receiving a grade below an A-. I have always enjoyed math and sciences and  I plan to become a biomedical engineer. I work hard in school and hope to maintain a 4.0 gpa in high school.

Soccer has taught me who I am as a person, what I can be, and has helped me through very difficult times in my life.  I have learned so many lifelong skills such as leadership, responsibility, teamwork, and accountability. Without soccer I don’t know where I would be today. I can’t imagine not playing soccer in college, and I hope I never have to.