Aliyah Welter '18 Recruiting Profile

I am very interested in continuing my athletic career in track and field or gymnastics at the collegiate level and I aspire to be competitive at the highest level.  I realize that many division one athletes set themselves apart by demonstrating consistent dedication and a strong work ethic, however,  I believe my love for the competition sets me apart from the common athlete. I train twenty hours per week as a level 10 gymnast while also practicing and competing in track and field. As a middle schooler, I was the starting point guard on our basketball team that went 58-0 and won two state championships. Oftentimes, I would play a game and go straight to gymnastics practice or practice basketball after school for two hours and then spend four more hours at gymnastics practice.  My high school basketball coach has made concessions for me to be part of the present team, although I cannot make it to all of the practices due to my commitment in gymnastics.  I know it is not fair to allow me to play in the games, but I just want to stay connected to the team so I practice with the team, whenever possible.  I am creative with my time to practice pole vault, hurdles and to work on relay exchanges with my teammates and I know I will only get better as I am able to commit more time to those endeavors. In general, I compete in athletics because I love them. For many athletes, the incentive is the extrinsic award or the lure of the scholarship and I will not dismiss those as worthy objectives. However,  I enjoy going to practice every day and striving to make improvement, knowing the outcomes will take care of themselves.

Most importantly, I put the same effort into all aspects of my life. I do not always get enough sleep, because my academics are important to me and, if I cannot get my homework done on the ride home from practice or competitions, I have some long nights. However, I also understand the need to serve others and, therefore, I participate in Lifesavers, Student Council, and FCA as well as my church youth group. I do not just want to be an athlete but a well-rounded individual who can make a difference in the lives of others.