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8

Apr, 2022

College Commitment: Nina Pollak

By: Nina Pollak

I’ve played soccer ever since I was 4 and my dad was my first coach.

I played for him throughout elementary school, and once I hit fifth grade I decided to make the jump to travel soccer.

It was scary at first joining a new team, but starting out at the club level allowed me to meet Coach Ellis, who in addition to my family, has been my biggest supporter in my aspirations to play soccer in college.

Throughout middle school and early high school I spent a lot of time working to improve my technical skills and better myself as a player in order to prepare for showcases and to be scouted by college coaches.

Throughout this time I played for the Maryland State ODP Team, was chosen to play for the National Rush Select Team, and was invited to participate in the US Club Soccer ID2 program.

However, during my sophomore year I experienced an injury and had to take time away from the game. This combined with the halt to recruiting caused by the pandemic made the recruiting process more challenging once showcases and ID camps started up again in spring and summer of 2021, as I entered my senior year.

The recruiting process pushed me not only as a player trying to earn a spot on a competitive college team, but also as a person, learning how to deal with rejection and having the courage to continuously reach out to coaches on my own.

I think the most important part to remember about the recruiting process is that lack of response does not always mean rejection and it is essential to be persistent in reaching out and confident in your own abilities. There are moments when self doubt can creep in and that is normal but it is more about how we respond to those feelings and move forward.

The process of playing a competitive sport and going through recruiting also helped me gain a lot of resilience. I think it’s important to remember that even though something may feel uncomfortable or a response from a coach may not be the one we wanted, it is all part of growing and learning how to respond.

February of 2022 I realized a dream I have had since I first started playing on my dad’s rec team, and I committed to play at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. I am so grateful to have found a program like Trinity and am excited for the competitive environment and life long relationships that I will make as a Tiger.

My advice for anyone looking to play athletics in college is to put in work each day to be a little bit better than the one before, whether that be an intense practice or much needed recovery day watching game film. Set your goals, write them down, and don’t let any one person or instance deter you.

I was so lucky to have the support of my family and especially my dad who drove me to early morning lifts before school and late night practices for so many years. I can not wait to join the Trinity family this fall and appreciate all the support and time that my coaches have dedicated to helping me get to this point. Go Tigers!!!

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8

Apr, 2022

College Commitment: Nina Pollak

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