i am not entirely sure what a “hook” is but i think its something that is a WOW factor in your app,pls correct me if im wrong.
i am a singapore resident and was selected for the national team(soccer). I have good academics too.
i know “good academics” is vague.Sorry.
right now im more concentrated on the soccer thing.
Recruited athletes get a bump in admissions. You should post on the Athletics forum for tips on how to contact the coach for any school you are interested in. But your academics have to be in the ballpark for the school, too.
Being a recruited athlete is a definite hook.
You should do 2 things. First, calculate your Academic Index to find out if you are in range, and second, fill out the interest form.
Here’s a link to the Academic Index (AI) calculator:
http://www.collegeconfidential.com/academic_index_calculator/
Above 210-215 is preferable.
As your gender is not specified, I’ve listed both men’s and women’s forms for Stanford soccer:
https://questionnaire.acsathletics.com/Questionnaire/Questionnaire.aspx?q=722&s=3777&o=130
https://secure.assistantcoach.net/colleges/questionnaire.asp?QID=62&oid=130&sid=3778&hsid=&school_name=&city=&state=&whichpage=
If you are not a recruited athlete, then your soccer is just a good EC, but not a hook.
Good luck!
Unless Stanford recruits you to play soccer, it is not a hook, just an honor.