Alana Aiken '24 Recruiting Profile

Soccer has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started playing soccer for the YMCA at the age of 3 then transitioned to recreational soccer at the age of 10, where I played all positions on the field. At age 13, I transitioned to club soccer and gained experience playing different positions. Now my primary position is forward.  

Over the years, I have learned more and more about the game and since I did not start playing competitively at an early age, I realized that I was not as good as I thought. I was very behind skill-wise. At that time, I didn’t even know what juggling was and lacked a lot of technical ability compared to my teammates, but I just made the DA team. I honestly didn’t even know why I was on the team in the first place. I realized I had gotten to that point based on pure athleticism, but I wasn’t complacent with that thought. I knew athleticism wasn’t going to be enough in the long run. I became motivated and hungry to become better. I was not going to be an athlete that dreamed of success, so I decided to wake up every day and work on it!  

I honestly hated not being the best and I still do. From then on, I not only practiced but studied. I assessed myself and studied the teammates that started over me, the teams we played against, and collegiate-level players. I then implemented what I observed. Over a short period of time, I excelled and improved like crazy!  

In my freshman year of high school, I moved to Texas and had to start all over –again. Once again, I found myself at the bottom of the ECNL level. Although I was a starting freshman at my high school (which was a great honor for me), I did not allow that opportunity to make me feel like I didn't need to continue working hard to keep growing and improving.  

Now playing for DKSC ECNL, I continue to set high standards for myself. I work every day to become better whether that’s physically or from an IQ standpoint. I believe in having a good attitude and leading by example, and that’s what I strive to embody --not only to be the player I am today but to be the player I want to be in the future! In the far future, I want to retire from this sport proud of my achievements --and failures and know that I made the most of my talents, dedication, hard work, and contributions as a team member.