Emma DeMonaco '21 Recruiting Profile

Most people have a moment in their life that changes them forever - that challenges them to their very core and makes them question everything . For me, I have had more of these moments than I would of hoped for. At 12, I tore my left ACL and needed surgery. It was ten grueling months of physical therapy and training to get me back on the pitch. It was hard, it was frustrating, it was full of heartache. I had to re-learn to trust a body that had let me down time and time again. Two months after returning to full play I tore my right ACL. It would have been easy to just quit, to say “soccer isn’t for me”. But I took this opportunity to train harder, to come back from this injury stronger than before. Family that had been supportive after the first injury were no longer supportive - they all told me to quit and play “easier” sports. This could have brought me down, but I took their words and used them as fuel to work harder.  A year and a half after my second ACL surgery I found myself on the operating table again - this time for a torn meniscus repair.   People keep asking me - “is soccer worth it?”  It is.  Soccer has taught me to be a better person, to work as a team towards winning and to take defeat and loss with dignity.  All of my experiences - both good and bad - have led me to a calling in sports medicine or physical therapy.  When my coach asks for a volunteer to fill a needed position I am the first to volunteer - as I know flexibility and commitment only make me a better player on and off the field.  Playing college soccer has been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember, and I know that if given the chance, I can be a valuable team player. I know how to put in the hard work, training, and dedication that will be required to play at the college level.  In high school I have balanced travel soccer while running varsity cross country for my school, all while keeping my grades up and holding a part time job.  During my brief off-seasons, I can be found working out at a local gym or doing cross fit, as I know hard work and dedication during the off-season is important too.