LA MIRADA, Calif. --- The Biola Women's Soccer team has achieved a lot of success in recent years. Their dedication and heart for the sport has led to impressive feats on the field, but what many people don't see is their dedication and heart for their studies off the field. On a team of 35, almost one-third of them are currently enrolled or enrolling in Biola's rigorous nursing program. 

Often times in collegiate sports you don't see many athletes pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) majors like nursing because it is too challenging to balance a sport and such a demanding major. Madi Demetropolis, a junior forward, reemphasized this sentiment when she said that she has friends that play sports at other schools who would like to pursue a STEM major but choose not to because of how difficult it would be. 

So how do nearly one-third of the Biola Women's Soccer team successfully balance such a demanding major and sport? Multiple things contribute to these student-athletes' success both on the field and in the classroom. Things like time-management, eating right, and allowing themselves a space to relax play key parts in these student-athletes' lives. Sandy Hawryla, a junior forward, when asked how she balances such a demanding sport and major says, "lots of prayer." She says that finding her worth in Jesus and not in her successes allows her to accomplish the things that she does. 

The women on the team also stress how integral the coaching staff has been in helping them balance soccer and a nursing major. Erin Brunelle is the current head coach for women's soccer and since taking her position in 2015 she has led the team to win more than 80 percent of their games. Though she has led the team to much success on the field, she emphasizes the idea that succeeding in athletics is not the only goal she has for her players. Demetropolis says that their coach "knows Jesus comes first, then career, then soccer." 

The Biola Women's Soccer program works with the nursing department to ensure their student-athletes can be as successful as possible and "reach new heights." Hawryla explained a recent time where the soccer program accommodated to her nursing schedule.

Recently the team flew up to Washington and Oregon to play. The team was supposed to fly out early in the morning but Hawryla had a nursing interview scheduled for that morning. Instead of her not being able to go on the trip because of the interview, Coach Brunelle scheduled her a flight later in the day so that she could still travel with the team and play. Instances like this show how dedicated the women's soccer program is to seeing their athletes thrive off the field. This goes hand in hand with Biola Athletics mission statement -- to help student-athletes to reach their full potential, not just athletically, but academically, spiritually, relationally, and emotionally as well.

When asked how their time as a student-athlete on the soccer team has set them up for success post-graduation the women on the team overwhelmingly expressed that their time on the soccer team will only benefit them in the future. Hawryla says that "being a student-athlete (at Biola) is why I'm successful in everything else that I do." From learning time-management, to how to handle stress well, to how to handle successes and losses with grace, to how to lead effectively, and how to be a team player; the skills and lessons you learn while being a student-athlete are invaluable. 

Though being a student-athlete comes with its own set of challenges the experience is irreplaceable. Madyson Brown, a senior defender, reiterates this sentiment by expressing "I wish everyone could have the experience of being a student-athlete." The lessons learned while playing soccer will not only carry these student-athletes to success in their remaining years at Biola but lead them to success and impacting the world for Christ after Biola.