Taylor Machacek '14 Recruiting Profile

My goals… Soccer is a very big part of my life. I am hoping it will be in my life for many more years to come. I have been playing soccer for about 11 years. Soccer has taught me many things besides “soccer”. I have had to learn to work with a team of girls. This isn’t always easy but I think on the field, we are there to play soccer and be competitive, off the field, we can do our own thing and it’s okay to be individuals. It has also taught me time management. There are many times we would have practice and I need to get my homework done before practice or stay up late and finish it. No matter what, my mom makes me go to school the next day! Respect is another thing I have learned about. There are times when I may not agree with others but I respect my coaches and teammates enough to not disagree with them. All of these skills will help me in the future with college and getting a job. When I go to college, I want to play at the collegiate level. I am hopeful to earn a soccer scholarship to help pay for college. I believe the hard work and time I put into soccer will help me obtain a scholarship. Some of the biggest things I have done in soccer to make me a better player is participating in South Dakota and Nebraska ODP. I have been doing this for four years. Last summer I traveled with the Nebraska ODP team to Germany to play internationally. This gave me another perspective of the world and how soccer is played internationally as well as a fantastic experience. I also spend extra time practicing with my friends when we do not have scheduled practice. My ultimate goal is to get an education at a good college and leave the college with a job all while playing soccer! Right now I’m thinking I want to be a physical therapist or athletic trainer. Most of my family members are teachers so that also might be in my future. I enjoy helping students that have a disability so I know that I want to do something to help people. I am hopeful that soccer will help pay for part of my education.