Winthrop University Athletics

ASK AN EAGLE PRESENTED BY COROPLAST TAPE: Sadie Guest (Women's Soccer)

7/15/2024 3:59:00 PM

Are there any short-term goals you would like to accomplish in the next few months or even in the next few years?

Within the next few months, I hope to compete for a Big South Championship ring. This is my final season at Winthrop and this team has something to prove. I graduate in December 2024 and within the next few years I hope to have a successful start to my career off the soccer field.

Was Winthrop your first choice for college and would you have chosen Winthrop had soccer not been an option?

Each player's recruitment process is so different, and mine was filled with injuries towards the end. Winthrop is the one that offered me and took a chance on me and I am forever grateful. Winthrop soccer gave me a chance to play Division I soccer, and I just fell in love with the school. If soccer was not an option, I am not sure where I would have ended up but I sure am glad that it was.

Soccer definitely takes up a lot of my time, but the people I am able to meet through it have become some of the most important people in my life. I still have time for a social life outside of the sport, it is important to have good time management skills to balance it with soccer and school going on at the same time.

There is a change of responsibility for sure, underclassmen and freshmen look up to the upperclassmen for guidance and what it means to be a part of the Winthrop soccer program. Getting to sit in the back of the bus is nice, but being an upperclassman means being a leader on the team and it is an important role to have for the success of the team.

My hobbies outside of soccer are going to concerts, exploring new cities, being outdoors, and hanging with my friends/teammates. My teammates have become some of my best friends so I am never that far away from soccer.

Yes, I have been playing this sport since I was four and never looked back. I tried basketball and a few other sports, but did not have that must interest outside of soccer. I do enjoy watching and supporting Georgia Football (Go Dawgs!) each year as football is my second favorite sport.

Being an athlete, I was able to gain skills such as teamwork, hard work ethic, communication, and time management. These skills can help set me a part for my future career. I was able to gain confidence on the field that started to show up off the field, being an athlete is a part of who I am. I do not think being an athlete automatically makes you a better person; there is a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes to obtain the benefits and skills from being one.

It is such a beautiful game and holds so many hearts across the world, and being able to be a part of that is simply amazing.

Mallory Swanson is a professional soccer player and plays with the U.S. national team. I look up to her because she had a terrible injury happen to her a few years back and she didn't let that stop her from coming back stronger and able to make the Olympic Team roster. That shows me that if you want it bad enough you can push yourself to do incredible things.

What do you believe is the greatest challenge most athletes are facing today?

I would say physical and mental health are the greatest challenges that most athletes are facing today. I have torn my ACL multiple times (four) throughout my career and see the impact this injury has and the athletes across all the sports that are affected by this injury. Mental health is being talked more and more in the sports world in the recent years and I am glad that it is finally being talked about and not pushed to the side. Being an athlete is just as much a mental game as it is a physical game.

How do you manage your athletic responsibilities and other outside recreational and non-recreational activities?

I utilize the calendar in my phone and a planner to make sure I am aware of everything I have going on each week. It is important for me not to over commit to things so that nothing gets lost in the chaos. My academics and my sport are my top priorities during my college career.

That sometimes it can be hard, and a team needs good leaders to make a team successful.

I have been injured countless times throughout my soccer career and especially during my high school years, which is prime time for recruitment. I think my biggest achievement is being able to go through major obstacles and still have the ability to be a Division I athlete.

It is better to celebrate together than celebrate alone.
If I ever need someone to talk to, I have team full of people that would answer.
I find more rewarding to reach a goal as a team than an individual does.

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