Ellie Francois

College: Ball State University

Major: Pre-Dentistry

As an 8th grader at Nipher Middle School, I had big aspirations of making the varsity field hockey team my freshman year of high school. I would often find myself begging my mom to drop me off at the high school to watch the varsity team’s games. I was very inspired by, D1 SLU field hockey commit, Megan Rice, and, D1 Georgetown lacrosse commit, Cate Camendzind. I wanted to be just like them. They were the top goal scorers and stars of the team and eventually led KHS to the state field hockey final four, making history for the program.

The summer before freshman year, I trained every day with a varsity player, Lauren Fischer, to prepare for tryouts. After a long, nerve wracking week of tryouts, I was the only freshman to make the varsity team. I was ecstatic at first, but as the games progressed, my playing time regressed. Eventually, I never left the bench. I became frustrated, no longer enjoyed field hockey and was relieved when the season finally ended. 

The following summer, I knew I had to work a lot harder and was more motivated than ever. I shaved two minutes off my mile time and practiced my stick skills every day. When sophomore season came around I immediately saw results. I earned a starting spot on my team and found myself being a leader on the field. 

I was elected captain and went on to earn First Team All-Conference and MVP for every following season I played. I increased my off-season training and began the recruiting process. In November of my junior year, I committed to Ball State University to play Division I field hockey. 

Looking back, I am glad I struggled freshman year. I expected to immediately be the best on the team, which was not plausible. I am glad I did not quit the sport because I cannot imagine my life without field hockey. Facing the adversity of not playing motivated me and made me work harder, becoming a better player. This ultimately allowed me to get recruited to continue to play in college.