Taylor Wade Perseveres to Collegiate Soccer Career

Canada native Taylor Wade, who is a senior soccer player, transferred from Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Quebec after her sophomore year to the University of Tampa to play soccer. Playing since the age of 5, soccer has always been her main sport of choice.

"If I didn't play soccer, I would probably play hockey. I love hockey." With an older brother, she has always been a competitive spirit and her love for sports doesn't interfere with her desire for growth.

As an infant, Wade suffered from a rare hearing disorder causing her to wear hearing aids at a young age. She wore these hearing aids up until high school, where then she chose not to get remolded, and decided she would just face this difficulty head on.

Many would believe this would be a challenge for someone to deal with, but Taylor is really optimistic, "I've dealt with this all of my life so I don't know what it would be like to not have them. Sometimes during practice I might react slower, and ask someone to repeat the drills to me, but it helps with my people skills because I'm forced to look at people when I am talking to them and make out their words with their lips."

From a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada, Wade came to the United States for school for a better opportunity and a more worldly experience. "Tampa is such a big city and there is so much going on here all of the time." Most people would be overwhelmed with so much change, but Wade adapted to her surroundings.

Of course the sunny state of Florida affected her decision, but the beautiful campus and the University of Tampa's women's soccer team reputation made this Wade's first choice, and helped her to establish her decision. "The campus here was really nice compared to the other school's I looked at."

In her rookie year with the Spartans during the 2012 season, she started in 18 games while playing in a total of 23. Wade recorded five shots on goal. Playing 1,618 minutes on the season, she made a big impact on her first year at the University of Tampa's soccer team.

In addition to soccer, Wade enjoys reading, aside from the overload of work due to her chemistry major. Sacrificing a social life due to so much of her time already being spoken for, she sometimes faces challenges with time management skills.

"I love the teachers here at UT, they are very understanding and easy to work with." The relationship due to the intimate class sizes lets her develop a better relationship when it comes to her career here as a student athlete.

As a junior, she was also on the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Commissioner's Honor Roll receiving an Academic Achievement Award. So far away from home, only visiting her family around once a year, it caused her to build stronger relationships with the friends she has made at school.

"Being a transfer, I wish I would have come here earlier to make friends and support systems, as well as gain a social experience here in Tampa, but luckily I got all of those desires out of my system before I transferred and now I realize that college is more than just social and Greek life. Education is what is the most important, and people just need to enjoy the moment they are in now."

Although Taylor loves her hometown and lives for her Canadian roots, after graduating from University of Tampa, she wants to go to California to do medical school research.

From the cold days in Nova Scotia to the sunny days ahead, soccer will never be too far behind the 5-foot-5-inch soccer athlete, Ms. Taylor Wade.

Written by Brianna Williams