Nia Freeman, a junior at Stamford High School, stands out as both a two-sport athlete and a student in the IBDP program. Excelling in both academics and athletics, Freeman recently committed to play Division 1 girls soccer at Yale. As one of the current captains of the Stamford High girls soccer team, she’s helped elevate the program’s profile with her leadership and talent. We sat down with Freeman to gain insight into her journey and learn how she has reached this impressive point in her career.
The Round Table: What is your full name, age, and what sports do you play?
Freeman: I’m Nia Freeman, I’m 15 years old and I play soccer and basketball.
TRT: How long have you been playing soccer?
Freeman: I’ve been playing soccer since I was 4.
TRT: Favorite thing about Stamford High soccer?
Freeman: My favorite thing is probably the team. I love playing with the girls and it’s really rewarding to see how far we’ve come since freshman year.
TRT: You are already committed to college. What was your initial reaction/what is the story to how you found out?
Freeman: So my process was, one of the Yale coaches saw me at a showcase in the spring and then I went to a few camps over the summer where different Yale coaches were. They told me to come to their camp, so I went to their camp. And then after I took a visit and I got an offer.
TRT: What were some of your biggest steps in this journey?
Freeman: One of the biggest steps was getting the interest. I think after June 15 when I started getting interest, it was really a confidence booster for me. I think it made me play better, especially during the summer because it was a big summer for recruiting.
TRT: Was this your first and only soccer offer?
Freeman: It was my second; I got an offer from Quinnipiac, but I was talking to other schools.
TRT: Did it take you a while to fully commit?
Freeman: It took about two weeks. Obviously it’s a huge decision – Yale is an amazing school but I didn’t know if I wanted to see where I could get other interests from. But after just having a lot of conversations with my family I decided to commit.
TRT: How large of a role did your family play in the admissions process?
Freeman: My family was huge. Without their support and all the things they’ve done for me I wouldn’t be able to get where I am. Also just having them for support has been everything and talking to me with some of the biggest decisions of my life.
TRT: Who do you feel like is your biggest supporter or mentor?
Freeman: My mentor is probably my dad. He’s helped me a lot with this whole process and I’ve talked to him almost everyday about it. He’s given me so much advice, and he just knows a lot about soccer so he’s been really helpful.
TRT: What is your favorite subject in school?
Freeman: My favorite subject is probably English.
TRT: Do you know what major you’ll pursue or have any ideas?
Freeman: No, I have no idea what I want to major in. I know I want to do something around humanities; I’m not really a stem person.
TRT: Do you have a personal motto you live by?
Freeman: I think just working hard is something I live by.
TRT: What’s something you’d like people to know about you besides your sports profile?
Freeman: Probably just that I’m a people person and I love to hang out with friends and being social.
