ASU soccer junior defender Madison Stark is described as being able to excel in everything she does, including her exceedingly charismatic personality and academic success.
Stark was honored this season when she was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 first team and holds an impressive 4.0 GPA as a Barrett Honors Student in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Since Kevin Boyd’s first season in 2007, the Sun Devil soccer program has lead the Pac-12 with 25 All-Academic first-team awards and 39 first and second-team awards.
“She’s had a wonderful effect on our team, and it's because of her attitude,” Boyd said. “If you choose to be positive and optimistic, you enjoy life a little more and you become successful."
In her hometown of Claremont, California, Stark was a standout soccer player who led her teams to many championships and achievements. During her time at Claremont High School, Stark found another passion outside of soccer – journalism.
She was a part of a 20 minute, daily, student-run broadcast called Wolf Cast. During her three years on the Wolf Cast, Stark rotated through many jobs from production to on-air host and incorporated sports into her academic studies along the way.
“It was as close to a real-life newsroom experience as you could get in high school,” Stark said. “That’s where I really found out that’s what I love to do.”
Playing soccer at ASU was not even considered by Stark until she received a call from Boyd. He was looking for a wide-back position player and called a trusted friend who mentioned Stark right away. A short while later, Boyd watched Stark play and immediately began recruiting her.
“I watched her play one half, and that’s all I needed,” Boyd said.
Stark didn’t realize until her first visit that ASU not only offered her a chance to play in a coveted soccer program, but that the Cronkite School stood just miles away in downtown Phoenix.
“Little did I know it had Walter Cronkite, one of the best journalism schools in the country,” Stark said. “It was just the full package.”
Just two weeks after the call and visit to ASU, the California native signed and made her way to Tempe. Boyd realized shortly after that he not only recruited a tremendous athlete, but a passionate and gifted student as well. Boyd said he immediately liked Stark’s personality and didn’t know she would excel so quickly.
“I figured she’d get some playing time, then by her junior year would be starting,” Boyd said. “I didn’t know she would play the most minutes her freshman year and be a captain her sophomore year, I didn’t know she would kill it that much.”
Stark’s persona ignites a passion in everyone she meets, especially in her teammates and coaches. What sets Stark apart is not the high praise received because of her athletic talent, but the contagious smiles plastered across the faces of the people speaking about her.
Senior defender Mckenzie Grossman was all smiles when talking about her friend and teammate. Grossman was a sophomore when Stark first joined the ASU team as a freshman. That year, the two would become roommates during team trips to Hawaii, Chicago and Spain. However, Grossman and Stark wouldn’t realize until later the inseparable bond they formed.
“We were roommates all that year,” Grossman said. “We automatically had that connection, and it was just instant friendship.”
Grossman and Stark live together now, but nothing in Stark’s daily routine deviates from a normal student-athlete. Grossman said Stark doesn’t overload herself with work, noting the impressive balance she keeps between soccer, school and her social life.
“Stark is like the anomaly because she is so naturally smart and gifted on the field and off,” Grossman said.
The ASU soccer schedule was brutal this season because of a grueling road schedule and the implementation of Thursday games. For road matches the team traveled on Wednesdays and returned late Sunday, not allowing an assortment of time for projects and homework. Boyd said athletes that maintain outstanding grades like Stark manage their time well, especially when faced with tough schedules.
“Those are long and tiring away trips, and you don’t always want to be in an airport or on a plane doing homework,” Boyd said.
Stark recently found herself frantically putting together plans to start and finish a project within a matter of days because of a long road trip the weekend before. The Cronkite School prides itself on the hands-on work it allows and mandates students to partake in. The demanding schedule of allotting time to shoot a package, interview sources and edit the final product can be overwhelming, something Stark knows all too well.
“In general, it's hard, and I don’t think professors understand that being an athlete, especially in season, is so time-demanding,” Stark said. “Now that I am a junior, all my classes are hands-on so you have to be time efficient.”
There have been some breaking moments for Stark in which she has wondered if all this work and stress is worth it.
“I’ll look at my teammates and they will be doing math homework, and I’m just thinking about how I have to check out a camera on Monday,” Stark said. “But I wouldn’t change what I’m doing because it's something new every day.”
Although tiring, Stark has managed to make her schooling and soccer career work in her favor so far. On the field, Stark has played in 56 of ASU’s 58 games during the last three seasons. The correlation between Stark’s presence on the field and in the classroom is her work ethic and ability to perform under pressure, according to Grossman.
“She knows how to work hard and knows what it takes to get the results that she wants,” Grossman said.
Stark believes there is a big advantage to being a student-athlete and perusing a sports journalism degree. She said learning about the dynamics of a team and understanding how an organization works from the inside has been a huge help.
“When it comes to interviewing different players you feel for them in a sense and know the right questions to ask, which helps,” Stark said.
Two years ago, Cronkite School alum and midfielder Tommi Goodman began hosting a segment and interviewed soccer teammates and coaches as a way for fans to connect with the team on a more personal level. Once Goodman graduated, the opportunity arose for Stark to host the soccer segment, which she now prides herself in.
Our final Senior Spotlight is with Mckenzie Grossman! #ThankYouSeniors pic.twitter.com/e2Xg0xpSv8
— Sun Devil Soccer (@ASUSoccer) October 30, 2016
“Its more getting to know the players off the field and getting to know our team,” Stark said. “It’s enjoyable and a good experience as well.”
Stark said in this industry she feels the pressure put on by other classmates. Her freshman year, Stark remembered students talking about internships they had completed and the extensive lineup of extracurricular activities they participated in. Stark felt unaccomplished compared to others but knew her first priority was playing soccer.
"In this career path, you have to be experienced," Stark said. "And I definitely feel the pressure sometimes."
Boyd said when Stark sets out to do something she does it to the best of her ability, and that's why she is so successful.
"Stark is a wonderful example of somebody who puts everything she has into everything she does," Boyd said.
Reach the reporter at kcvalen1@asu.edu or follow @kvalenzuela17 on Twitter.
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