Each day our student-athletes show what it means to be Southern Strong.
Not only do they uphold the careful balance between academic achievement and athletic commitments, but many are also active in university club memberships and hold work responsibilities and still make time for family, friendships and personal interests – resulting in an inner fortitude and grit that will continue to serve them well beyond college.
This Women’s History Month, we share insight from five Southern women athletes about what makes it worth the work.
Begotty Laroche, ’22
Major: Exercise Science ǀ Minor: Psychology
Sport: Track & Field
Noely Macias, ’22
Major: Exercise Science ǀ Minor: Chemistry
Sport: Gymnastics ǀ Position: All-Around
Jazmyn Martinez, ’22
Major: Psychology & Sociology
Sport: Softball ǀ Position: Pitcher/Utility
Bayleigh Takacs, ’22
Major: Business Administration
Sport: Lacrosse ǀ Position: Attack
Gabriela Gaibur, ’23
Major: Communication Disorders ǀ Minor: Spanish & Honors Transdisciplinary
Sport: Volleyball ǀ Position: Outside Hitter
Q: What’s the best part about being a collegiate athlete?
BL: Being part of a community.
NM: Having the opportunity to play a sport I love every day.
JM: I get to play the last few years of the sport I love, with a fantastic group of women.
BT: Having the opportunity to play lacrosse at a higher level. The friendships and bonds I have created at Southern Athletics I will cherish forever.
GG: Having a built-in family outside of the home. Once you’re on a sports team at Southern, your teammates are automatically your new family. Since we’re all going through the same thing, we know we can rely on one another to have our backs both on and off the court.
Q: How do you balance personal time, academics, and athletics?
BL: Finding that balance can be troublesome, but it is possible. It starts with taking care of your mental health because if you are not there mentally, you won’t perform in either the classroom or on the track or field. So, it’s essential to take personal days and keep track of what you need to do. When you do well in the classroom, I’ve found that you focus better on the game.
NM: Time management. While I always put my education and gymnastics first, I find time to socialize and bond with teammates and friends when time permits.
JM: Learning time management early on was vital for me. I try and complete all my assignments during the week to decompress and recharge over the weekend.
BT: I always prioritize academics because my education mustn’t be affected. I don’t find it so bad giving up a little time to sports over my personal life, especially since my teammates are some of my best friends.
GG: Being a collegiate-athlete accustoms you to a busy lifestyle. I try to organize a schedule to keep track of everything I have to do ahead of time. I sometimes wish I wasn’t so busy most of the time with all I have on my plate, but whenever I have a few days off, or a few days where I’m not as busy, I feel pretty bored and want things to do.
Q: Has Southern helped you advance your goals?
BL: Southern introduced me to faculty in my life that want to see me succeed and always push toward doing better. As an exercise major, I find it amazing that I can connect what I am learning in the classroom to how I am performing on the field.
NM: Southern provided me with great professors and an education that prepared me for graduate school and my future career. I can proudly say that I made the right choice to attend Southern, not just for the opportunity to continue gymnastics but also for the excellent education.
JM: Southern introduced me to people that provided me a platform to share my voice. If it weren’t for the excellent support system I have behind me here, I wouldn’t be a student-athlete, a social justice activist, or the advocate that I am today.
BT: Southern allowed me to take advantage of different opportunities I wouldn’t necessarily have received at other universities. I’ve led different groups on campus and been a part of various on and off-campus organizations. I’ve also gained a tremendous amount of networking skills and opportunities that will significantly benefit my future career.
GGG: The Communication Disorders department has fantastic people who create a positive learning environment, giving me all the tools and knowledge, I need to prepare myself for a successful career. In addition, the support I receive through the athletic department, my coaches, and trainers are constantly pushing me to be the best athlete I can be every day. Without their support, it wouldn’t be possible for me to succeed as a collegiate athlete.
Q: Where will you be in five years?
BL: I hope to be involved in my occupational therapist career and do sports. There is nothing like walking into a meet and feeling the tension in the air, seeing the frenzy of athletes preparing for their races, teammates roaring on the sidelines for their peers, or the smell of gunpowder in the air. Even if I serve as a coach or sports official, the chance to continue being a part of it all is such an exhilarating feeling that I don’t see myself ever stepping away from it.
NM: I hope to be working as a physician’s assistant — specifically an OB-GYN — on the West Coast. Although gymnastics will no longer be part of my everyday life, I plan to stay active.
JM: Living in Charlotte, North Carolina, working for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Eventually, I hope I can work for the FBI or in Narcotics.
BT: I hope to graduate with an MBA from Southern. While my ideal job would be to work in the sports and entertainment industry, I plan on moving back to New Jersey to pursue business.
GGG: I hope to continue playing volleyball on some professional level and begin to pursue my career as a speech-language pathologist helping both children and adults in need. I’ve always wanted to travel, so if I could combine some of my passions and spend a few years playing volleyball and traveling before settling and beginning my career that would be ideal.
Q: Any advice for young women athletes?
BL: Study the sport, learn the mechanics, eat well, and take care of your body.
NM: Continue to live out your passion, and don’t get discouraged by failure. In my 17 years of gymnastics, despite the countless hours I spent in the gym preparing, I’ve had to learn how to be OK with having a poor performance. Of course, there will be times you feel like the bad outweighs the good, but you need to push yourself a little harder during those times.
JM: Embrace the memories you’ll make with your teammates because after you’ve hung up your cleats for good, it’s not the games you’ve won or lost you’ll remember, but what the bus rides were like and how fun the stay-overs were. You’ll remember how you treated one another and how much your teammates meant to you. Those bonds will last you a lifetime.
BT: It’s so important to step outside your comfort zone and take advantage of every opportunity you’re given. You never know what will come out of it.
GG: You have to believe in yourself. Although there are going to be a variety of obstacles you’re going to face throughout your life, in the end, you are in control of what you are capable of achieving. I find it so satisfying when someone puts you down and tells you that you can’t do something, only for you to prove them wrong ultimately. Use that negativity as fuel to keep pushing yourself and becoming the best version of yourself possible.
