Calista Collins '23 Recruiting Profile

My name is Calista Collins and I am a 2023 scholar-athlete.  

I think the word best describes my focus and my passions, and shapes who I am both on and off the field.  

Soccer has always been my first love of any sport.  I currently stand as a 5’7”, 125lb Center Back and Defensive Midfielder, who has been playing Club soccer since U8.  I’ve not always been on the top team when I was younger but always focused on getting better with my skills and becoming smarter on the field (I actually enjoy training and practice :-) .  I earned an academic (currently hold a 3.9 GPA) and soccer scholarship to my current high school (Saddle River Day School).  I am also a Starter on one of the top ECNL teams in the country (WCFC National - U16).  

My style of play has definitely changed as I’ve gotten older.  I pride myself on making the best soccer play, not the flashiest one.  The best way to describe my defensive mentality is “disruption”.  It is always my choice to mark the best forwards on any opposing team and my goal is to always be in positions to take advantage of attacking situations and play aggressively from the back.  

If my coaches, teammates, friends and family had to describe me, I think they would say I am loyal, kind, hard working and selfless.  
Work ethic has never been something I had to develop or teach myself to do better. Working hard is something that I can control, and if I am open to learning as well, there is always room for growth.  

My desire to study in a pre-med program (Biology) and work in the healthcare field aligns with always wanting to help people whenever possible.  I understand the academic commitment that this will take, and that this may limit some of my college choices.  However, I think that the school that values me as a student athlete first, and the contribution I can make to both the team and the school is where I want to be.  I want to have balance in my college life, develop strong relationships with teammates, classmates and the community, and pushing myself further than I ever thought I could go.