Posted by: Brian Radewitz - September 4, 2015
Since she was three years old, Madison
Taylor knew that she was different. It was at that young age
that the Lake Mary, Florida native found out that she was
completely deaf in her left ear and had mild-moderate loss on the
right side. Growing up, she would face numerous hurdles in the
classroom, but the soccer field was one place where she always felt
at home.
Now, the BR-1 Rollins defender stands out among her peers for
her play on the pitch instead of the ailment that she was diagnosed
with so many years ago.
"Growing up deaf, I often struggled in the classroom, but soccer
always made me feel like a 'regular' kid and the fact that I was
pretty good at it gave me a way to fit in with my peers," Taylor
said. "I was diagnosed with significant hearing loss after my mom
noticed me struggling to talk with my aunt on the phone. I had
compensated well by teaching myself to lip read."
She was given a hearing aide for her right ear, but there was no
hope to strengthen the left one.
While Taylor took to the pitch like a fish to water, she did
face obstacles along the way - the biggest being communication.
"Social settings, classrooms and even hearing a police siren can
be difficult, but I have learned to adapt and have always had a
good support system," she said. "On the field, I rely on my
teammates to pass along coaching changes from the sidelines or
signal me when play has been stopped if I missed the sound of the
whistle."
As Taylor's confidence in her game grew through high school, she
became more and more skilled on the defensive side of the ball.
During her junior year, her coach mentioned that she should look
into the Deaf National Team.
After speaking with the coach of the National Team, Taylor was
offered a tryout in Atlanta. She made the team and began traveling
around the country, playing in exhibition matches and training
camps to prepare for the Deaf World Cup in Ankara, Turkey. The US
team won the tournament and rode a wave of success straight through
to the Deaflympics in Sophia, Bulgaria the following year, where
they once again claimed gold.
"I feel so incredibly grateful to have such amazing
opportunities and play with such a talented group of women
athletes, representing the USA," Taylor said.
She still remembers how it felt prior to playing her first World
Cup game, stating that she "was beyond nervous. I remember sitting
in the locker room about to go out onto the field and play for my
country, thinking that this was not just another game.
"The thought was overwhelming," she added. "Once the game
started, my nerves faded away and instinct just kicked in. I just
kept telling myself to relax, it's another match, another pitch.
The adrenaline at that level is unreal, but I think it prepared me
for high-pressure games later in my career, like the National
Championship last season."
Once high school wrapped up, Taylor enrolled at Anderson
University in Indiana for her freshman season. While there she
started 16 of 17 matches and scored her first goal against Catawba
in a 2-2 draw. She finished her debut campaign with seven points
while playing a mix of defense and forward. When the season was
over, she decided to transfer to Rollins.
"My heart has always been at Rollins, but growing up in
Florida, I thought I might want a change after high school," she
said. "With coaching changes at my former college, I thought it
would be a good time to transition and play for a chance to bring
home a National Title."
In her first season with the Tars, that almost happened. Rollins
cruised through the regular season and made it to the National
Championship game, where the team fell to Grand Valley State
3-0.
"We have a lot to prove this year," Taylor said. "We know that
and that means we will work harder, play smarter and train harder
to get back for another go at that title. I'm really excited for
the upcoming season. We have a strong group of freshmen joining the
squad and a strong core of veteran players who can lead us to
another opportunity at a National Title."
While her immediate focus is on playing for her home town
school, Taylor is looking forward to competing again for her
country. She will be playing for the United States Women's National
Deaf Team next year in the World Cup in Italy and then will look to
defend their title in the Deaflympics the following year in
Turkey.
Taylor has many great memories from her soccer career so far,
but two stand out among the rest - one while playing for Rollins
and one while playing for the USWNDT.
"Running across the field with the American flag draped over my
shoulders after beating Russia for the gold medal in Bulgaria and
stepping on the field with my college teammates, some of whom I
played with since middle school, for the opportunity to win a
National Championship … both great moments," she said.
Being one of the most successful deaf student-athletes on the
pitch, Taylor has the opportunity to become an inspiration to
others growing up with a disability and offered up some advice for
future soccer stars saying, "always think in the terms of 'I
can.'
"It is not always going to be easy, but with hard work and
determination, you can do anything you set your mind to. Believe in
yourself and follow your dreams. DREAM BIG!"
