Big Sky soccer player Madison Montgomery shows grit on the field and in the classroom.
Madison Montgomery makes excelling on and off the soccer field look easy.
She’ll tell you that it takes personal commitment and support from her team to pull it off—and at Northern Arizona University, the defender from Chandler has benefited from both.
In March 2021, she was named Big Sky Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, her first career Player of the Week honor. As a sophomore, Madison earned Big Sky All-Conference honors for the Lumberjacks soccer team. It was a fitting campaign after she worked her way into significant playing time during her freshman year and earned NAU’s Golden Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award, which recognized her contributions to the sport while maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA.
“I was proud that I could push through,” she said. “Coach told me he was proud of me for staying on top of everything and working hard every practice. That made me confident and helped me be the player and person I am now.”
At NAU, the athletic staff cares about you as a person. They care about your future. It’s a great place to be. I’m a person, not just another body to put on the field.
Madison credits NAU Athletics for emphasizing schoolwork.
“Our coaches always have pushed academics,” she said. “Student comes before athlete, and they say we need to get our work done. We know soccer isn’t going to be part of our lives forever. At NAU, the athletic staff cares about you as a person. They care about your future. It’s a great place to be. I’m a person, not just another body to put on the field.”
Current head coach Kylie Louw is an inspiration to Madison, not just for how she relates to her players but also for her experience as an Olympian on the South African national team.
“She’s been a great mentor to me and has played a big role in me continuing to improve as a soccer player and person,” Madison said. “She challenges us every day to be the best that we can be. She pushes the idea of being part of something bigger and being a part of a family, which I find really cool.”
A Biomedical Science major and Psychology minor, Madison is considering medical school in the future. She knows the time and determination forged on the NAU soccer field will help her achieve her personal and professional goals.
“Biomedical science is a very competitive field,” she said. “So the competitiveness of soccer—working hard, putting your head down, and making sure you get your work done—is helpful. Even if you’re doubting yourself or people are doubting you, keep working hard, keep grinding. I finally found out I could be the player I knew I could be.”
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