For the fourth year in a row, senior Madison “Maddy” Mewhinney assisted the women’s soccer team with all its games, practices and events. After facing several injuries prohibiting her from playing, Mewhinney stayed in the program as team manager.

“My friends on the team kept encouraging me to come back,” she said. “They said it wouldn’t have been the same without me. I helped motivate the team and the experience is always fun.”

According to The Institute of Sports Psychology (ISP), injuries in a sport can be one of the hardest things, mentally and physically, an athlete has to overcome. It states that injuries alter athlete’s confidence, identity and passion in ways that can ruin the sport for the athlete. ISP mentioned many athletes let their injuries get the best of them and never return to the sport they were involved in. Teammate and senior Monica Dick said Mewhinney has not only overcome her injuries, but still continues to love the sport she grew up playing and encourages the team to always work their hardest and not to take advantage of the game.

“I’m sure many players pushed through their own injuries with Maddy’s assistance and encouragement. We were a better team because of her presence,” Dixon said.

Faced with shin splints for years and multiple surgeries throughout her whole time at CHS, Mewhinney said she knows how hard it is for athletes to continue to love the sport they play and stay positive. She said she got to help out the team a lot and one of her favorite things this year was helping the goalie coach during practices.

“I got to help warm up the goalies and help around practice whenever someone needed me. I got to cheer everyone on and help with questions some of the younger players had,” Mewhinney said.

Dixon said Mewhinney’s presence impacted the team in many ways. He said she always brought positive energy and encouragement to everything she did. He said players would always go to her when they had a bad day and she would help pick them up.

According to Dick, Mewhinney was a necessity to the team. She said Mewhinney has faced tough injuries but keeps her head held high and brings positive energy to the environment. Dick said Mewhinney always stepped up, selflessly helped lead the team and was always supportive towards the underclassmen.

“Maddy has provided the team with undying support throughout all four years. She keeps the team’s positivity on track. We could always count on her to be the first one to say good job once you sub out of the game. From getting balls to giving rides, Maddy has always been there with no complaint,” Dick said.

Along with Dick, head coach Frank Dixon said Mewhinney was well-respected within the soccer program. He said she missed hardly any practices and always helped out the other girls with a smile on her face. Dick and Dixon both said the younger girls in the soccer program always looked up to Mewhinney and her encouragement was contagious.

“Through all of the adversity she faced, Maddy always had a smile on her face. She constantly encouraged her teammates through all four years,” Dixon said.

“I don’t know if Maddy realizes the lesson she has learned long before the others on our team will. It is the rare person that goes through life doing everything that they love and that’s her. Maddy is one that knows that if you love something enough you should always keep trying,” Dixon said.

Throughout the season Dick was faced with a torn ACL and she said Mewhinney was always there for her. For the time being, the two helped manage the team and got through their injuries together. Dick said it is difficult being injured and having to watch your team play on without you, but that Mewhinney supported her through the whole process.

“Maddy definitely helped me through my injury and difficulty of not being able to play. She visited me in the hospital after my surgery and repeatedly came to visit me at my house. I would always go to her if I was especially down because she knew how to help me out and cheer me up,” Dick said.

Dick said Mewhinney taught her and other team members how to overcome the let-downs soccer and injuries bring and how to put the team first. Mewhinney said she has struggled from not getting to step on the field during a game but wouldn’t have wanted to give up what she has grown up loving. She said she has overcome a lot and that being part of the team has given her experiences and memories she won’t get anywhere else.

“She taught us that if we can’t help our team on the field, then to help them in every other way possible. I personally think she has handled her struggles in the strongest way possible,” Dick said. “I couldn’t be more proud of what she did for the team and how she has never given up on the sport she loves.”