Paulson signs letter of intent with Bellarmine University

Fallbrook High School senior April Paulson has signed a letter of intent to play collegiate field hockey at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.

Paulson signed her letter of intent Nov. 9, which was the first permissible day high school seniors could sign letters of intent with National Collegiate Athletic Association universities.

"It was an experience like no other," said Paulson of the signing. "It showed all of the hard work I put in. It showed how it paid off."

"It's kind of been a part of her field hockey dream, and it's really rewarding," said Fallbrook coach Melissa Maultsby.

Paulson is a lifelong Fallbrook resident who attended St. Stephen Lutheran School from pre-school through eighth grade before her four years at Fallbrook High School. When she was in fifth grade she wrote a report on Mammoth Cave National Park, which is about 90 miles from Louisville and about 125 miles from Lexington.

"I've always wanted to live in Kentucky, and I love horses," said Paulson. "My dream has come true."

The Bellarmine campus is approximately five miles from Churchill Downs, the historic racetrack that is home to the Kentucky Derby. Paulson's April 28 campus visit was nine days before this year's Derby and two days before Churchill Downs opened its meeting. Although she did not see any horse races during her trip, she did take a tour of Churchill Downs.

Paulson attends Calvary Chapel. The senior pastor there, Barry Mahler, is from Kentucky. Mahler told Paulson that she'd likely stay in Kentucky if she attended college there.

"I can see why," said Paulson. "It's pretty there."

Her April 28 campus visit was Paulson's first trip to Kentucky. "Before that I had only seen it on the Internet and seen it on TV," she said.

The visit confirmed what she had seen and been told. "In Kentucky the people were nice; it's beautiful there," Paulson said.

Paulson had also been considering Transylvania University in Kentucky, Briar University and Mansfield University in Pennsylvania, and the University of California, Berkeley before committing to Bellarmine. She had visited Cal, Pacific, Stanford, and the University of California, Davis as well as Bellarmine.

"She's a phenomenal player, definitely an asset to a high school team as well as our club team," Maultsby said.

Maultsby coaches the Hot Stix club, which in February spent Presidents' Day Weekend in Sarasota, Florida, for the Presidents' Day Showcase. The activities included a trip to Disney World, and while Paulson was at Orlando's version of the Magic Kingdom, she received a call from Bellarmine expressing the Knights' interest in her.

"It was the dream come true moment at Disney World," said Paulson. "It was really great."

Paulson provided a verbal commitment to Bellarmine shortly after her campus visit and signed her official letter of intent on the first permissible date.

"As soon as I stepped onto Bellarmine I knew that was the school I had to go to," Paulson said.

"I'm very proud of everything she's accomplished," said Maultsby. "It's been really fun to kind of watch her grow."

Paulson now helps to coach the Potter Junior High School field hockey program, but since she attended St. Stephen rather than Potter she did not play field hockey until she was a Fallbrook High School student.

"The first time that I ever heard of it was the summer prior to freshman year," said Paulson.

Caroline Bishop was an incoming Fallbrook High School senior that summer. Bishop's father approached Paulson's father, who owns Martial Art Concepts, for sponsorship. Dan Paulson agreed to have Martial Art Concepts sponsor Bishop, which attracted April Paulson to field hockey.

"From there I became interested in the sport," Paulson said. "I tried out my freshman year and made the team and it went from there."

Paulson was on Fallbrook's junior varsity team as a freshman, so she never played with Bishop in a CIF game, but Paulson was promoted to the varsity as a sophomore. "That really just raised my level of playing," she said.

Jeremiah Fuller was Fallbrook's coach during Paulson's sophomore and junior seasons. Maultsby took over as Fallbrook's coach for 2016. "The season would have been completely different without her," Maultsby said.

Maultsby cited Paulson's non-playing contributions as well as her field hockey skills. "She's a great leader," said Maultsby.

Paulson played both midfielder and forward for the Warriors. "She's going to excel in college," Maultsby said.

During the most recent track and field season, Paulson ran the 200-meter and 400-meter individual events and the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. She won the Valley League championship in the 400-meter individual event and was also recruited by college track and field teams.

"Field hockey and track are both my passions, but field hockey is really where my heart is," said Paulson.

Paulson did not play any high school winter sports. She does not compete in competitive equestrian events and uses her current quarter horse, Bobby, for trail riding. Paulson also teaches Hapkido in her father's martial arts studio.

Paulson, who plans to major in education at Bellarmine and desires to become a special education teacher, is also a member of Fallbrook High School's Crew Club and works with special education students. The high school is experimenting with three "houses", and Paulson is the Freedom House vice-president.