Major Monday with Maddie Bennett
10/30/2017 | Soccer
When you join the Wildcat family, the term "Bear Down" becomes second nature - it is a trademark that lives with you your entire life. But, when you are a student athlete, "Bear Down" becomes much more than a term to scream from the stands or while walking down the street.
Maddie Bennett, a forward from La Mirada, Calif. joined the Wildcat family last fall. Since then she has taken the term "Bear Down" to a new level. As a freshman she competed in every match for the Wildcats, and has continued to do so in the 2017 season.
Her favorite part of playing for the Wildcats is the relationship between the University of Arizona and the Tucson community. "Even people who do not attend the University still support all the sports on campus. We get so many people to come to our games, and everyone is so passionate about [Arizona]."
The relationship between the University of Arizona and Tucson is one that Bennett has studied the last two years, but she has also been studying other relationships. As a Family Studies and Human Development major, Bennett currently takes classes on close relationships, early human development, and how different families interact with each other.
"My favorite part about my major is all of it," she said with a smile. "I was really interested in learning about families and the development of humans, but not necessarily the science behind it. I thought it would be a good balance between the two concepts. I also love how all the professors are so passionate about what they are teaching. They all have a Ph.D. or their own clinic. It gives you an idea of what it is like to work in the field. I am learning so much more because they aren't just teaching to teach, they are teaching because they really care."
Being a Pac-12 student-athlete comes with a lot of challenges, but Bennett juggles it all with the help of the community of athletes on campus.
"We interact with a lot of other student athletes because we are always in the weight room or hanging out with all the other [student-athletes]," Bennett said. "That is a big part of my social life because we are all in the same environment trying to balance it all, but I do think being a student athlete has made me a better student because I have to study more and time management is huge. I have practice every day and homework every day. Plus, I have to find some time to sleep."
Head Coach Tony Amato also emphasized Bennett's dedication to her studies, saying that "she is very committed to being successful in everything that she does. In addition to meeting the demands of being a Pac-12 stdent-athlete, she is always studying on our road trips or working in C.A.T.S. Academics."
C.A.T.S. academics, a student athlete resource center on campus, strives to help the University of Arizona athletes keep up with their coursework. Bennett uses C.A.T.S. because she "has to study at different times when we are away traveling. C.A.T.S. is always there if you miss a certain class or need to be caught up. They also have individual study rooms and that's where I go to study."
As for after she graduates, Bennett is interested in having her own marriage counseling clinic. "I know it takes a lot of work, but in my perfect world, that is what I would be doing."
