With no intention of playing two sports in college, sophomore Kellie Gentile is living the best of both worlds.
Simply put, Gentile was doubtless about her decision.
After playing in a soccer tournament her senior year of high school, the Brockport assistant coach at the time had sent her a letter of interest after watching her play. Gentile visited the school and fell in love with the soccer program; however, her main desire was to play collegiate softball. She reached out to the head softball coach, he watched her play and then her decision was made.
“It’s not as bad as people would think it is. I still have all winter off, which is great. So, I still have time to myself,” Gentile said.
Time management is a strength and struggle for many athletes. Gentile recognizes her schedule requires more of her than other people’s schedules might but it’s something she finds peace in.
“I love being busy, and I get bored pretty quickly,” Gentile said. “I feel like it helps me do better in school, honestly. I know that I have this amount of time to do this when. I rarely ever get stressed because I am pretty good at planning out my schedules and knowing when I have practices, when I have games and knowing when I can do my school work. It is a limited amount of time that I have to do it, so I know I have to get it done.”
Living this kind of lifestyle often requires a lot of support, and Gentile is anything but short of that. Coaches, teammates, friends and family have shown just how proud of her they are.
Both the soccer and softball coaches acknowledged that Gentile impacts the team on and off the fields. Head coach for the women’s soccer team Michael Idland finds inspiration in her daily efforts.
“Kellie is a real team player,” Idland said. “She’s selfless and always willing to help the team in any way she can, even when she’s in softball season. She’ll regularly help with our recruiting visits during that time of year. I can expect an honest effort every single day. She consistently shows how to balance the demands of academic work with the demands of soccer and she does it all with a smile. It’s important to remember to have fun and I think she is inspirational in that way.”
Her roommate, friend and teammate Jackie DuTot sees her dedication day in and day out.
“Kellie is tremendously dedicated,” DuTot said. “She always makes sure to prioritize her time well and inspires me every day. She is one who not only is determined to do great on the field and in the classroom, but her dedication to caring about her teammates and lifting us up when we’re down is always above and beyond. If everyone could be a little like Kellie, in some way, our world would be like no other.”
Gentile is not only supported by her coaches and friends but her family too. Her parents have been right by her side every step of the way. From little leagues to high school and now college, it’s been a reward to watch their daughter become who she set out to be.
“We are so proud to see her being able to fulfill her dreams of playing at the collegiate level. Many years of dedication, determination and hard work have paid off,” Ciro and Penny Gentile said.
Being able to have the same schedule on a daily basis can be mentally taxing on any person. However, when you love what you do the hardest parts have no weight.
“I cannot imagine not doing both. It’s more mental than anything physical and it’s honestly just what I love doing,” Gentile said.
