by KAYLA GROHMAN and LINA GU
From the very first time Madi Park kicked a soccer ball when she was a young girl, she has reached unimaginable heights in her favorite sport.
Now a junior at Chadwick, Park is undoubtedly one of the most talented, athletic and passionate soccer players that the school has ever produced.
Park played soccer for Chadwick through middle school, and has just begun her third high school season. She mainly plays outside forward, and has been recognized with first-team All-Prep League honors, both her freshman and sophomore seasons.
Park says that her favorite part about playing soccer at Chadwick is the team dynamic, “Chadwick soccer really stands out to me because I’m able to play with peers across all ages. And I become close with people that I might not have met because of the different grades.”
Chadwick’s girls’ soccer team has been an enjoyable experience for Park, and she is excited to take on the challenges of a new season, which has seen the Dolphins start fast with a 4-2 record, 2-2 in the Prep League.
From an early age, sports was introduced to Park by her parents. She balanced multiple sports as a child, but soccer always stood out to her the most.
“You become really close to your teammates,” Park said. “You build best friends for life, and you build a relationship with coaches and teammates.”
Park spotlights and credits her parents for all the sacrifice and hard work that they put into her soccer career. “I think I just look up to their supportiveness the most,” Park said.
“Them being supportive and always there for me just really helps me and allows me to keep going, and I wouldn’t be able to have a soccer career without them.”
Last summer, Park committed to play Division I soccer at Cornell University in fall 2025. “I really like the East Coast, and I’m really excited to be able to experience four seasons,” she said.
Besides the strong academics of the Ivy League, Park says she made her decision based largely on the outstanding coaching staff and team dynamic at Cornell.
“I’m just really excited to be part of a team and prolong my soccer career, because the team aspect is my favorite part of soccer,” Park said.
“I’m really excited to join a community that has already welcomed me so much.”
Park is struck by what she describes as the almost surreal experience that has landed her in a place to play college soccer.
“It’s something I’ve always kind of dreamed about since being a little kid,” she said. “I didn’t think that it would actually be possible. And it still doesn’t feel real to me.”
Although Park is passionate about continuing her soccer career, she said that the journey to get here wasn’t always easy and fun.
Park battled the effects of a concussion last season with her club team, Fram United, and is currently dealing with a bad ankle sprain.
“Injury from the outside may not look very hard. But once you’re dealing with it, it becomes very tough mentally because you just want to get back on the field,” she explained.
“Getting through my concussion was difficult, but it made me enjoy playing even more when I got back. I wasn’t taking the little things for granted, and I was really happy to be back on the field.”
She added: “It was definitely stressful, but I had a lot of guiding people in my life to help me. I just continued to remind myself why I was doing it. And that no matter what the outcome was, the perseverance that it took to try it was a good experience.”
With her determination, dedication and strong work ethic, the talented Park has demonstrated a wonderful combination of skill and character … on and off the field.
The Mainsheet 