Freshman Taylor Adams is making her mark in both soccer and lacrosse at Carlsbad. As a goalie for the girls JV lacrosse and frosh soccer teams, she not only defends the net but also overcomes challenges as an athlete with a cochlear implant.
“I absolutely love to play soccer, and it’s probably one of my favorite things to do,” Adams said. “When I was like seven or eight, my coach put me in goal, and I absolutely fell in love with it.”
Being seen as a normal student-athlete is important to Adams; she wants her coaches and teammates to recognize her for her skills and hard work rather than focusing on her differences. Although she plays like everyone else, she still experiences challenges that come with playing two very physical, contact sports while also relying on her device to hear.
“If I get hurt then it can impact the way I hear and the way I go through life because being injured could break it, and that would affect my hearing on or off the field,” Adams said. “When it’s really loud on the field, and there’s too much going on, I can’t always hear what my teammates are saying, especially if they’re behind me or far away.”
She’s never really focused on the fact that she doesn’t hear the same as her teammates because she plays just as well and holds a huge role on her team. Instead she lets her performance speak for herself.
Lakeley Butcher, also a freshman student-athlete, played with Taylor as her goalie on the soccer team. Adams teammates have gained inspiration from her resilience and leadership.
“She was a good, caring teammate and a strong player. There were times when she couldn’t hear us, but that never affected how we played,” Butcher said. “She always kept the team’s spirits high, and she’s always kind.”
Taylor’s strong perseverance and determination in sport supported by friends and family drives her to continue trying new sports, taking on bigger roles on her teams, and staying true to excel and take on bigger challenges for herself on and off the field. With three more years ahead of her at Carlsbad, she looks forward to growing as an athlete and a leader.
“I definitely plan on staying with soccer and lacrosse since I’ve been playing since I was so young,” Adams said. “I’m just going to keep playing no matter the setbacks.”
