Freshman Feature: Madison Cotta
August 13, 2019 | Soccer
by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications
STARKVILLE – It took about a week for it to really sink in for Madison Cotta.
More than 2,000 miles from her home in Tulare, California, she was about to begin her college experience a bit earlier than most. After graduating and enrolling early in the spring, Cotta had finished moving into her dorm with help from her parents in January. She wouldn't see them again until spring break.
"When they left it was weird," she said. "I did not feel like they were actually going to leave. I thought I was going to see them the next day. They flew home, and I didn't get homesick until the weekend where my body was like, 'Oh, mom and dad are not here.'"
Cotta's parents had always supported her, from taking the risk of traveling to Starkville for a summer day camp with the hope she'd be noticed and recruited to pushing her to take college classes online in high school and double on government and economics in the same semester so she could graduate early.
"[My dad] was my first best friend," Cotta said. "We are very close. He has always had my back when it came to soccer and pushing me to get here. I really think that he and my mom were a big factor of me being able to be here, not just financially but mindset-wise."
Now she was stepping into a new challenge, without her usual support system in the next room.
At first she struggled to find a balance between the heavier class load and the amount of time she needed to spend on soccer, but the biggest adjustment came on the field.
"It was a reality check because you come from being one of the best ones on your club, and you get here and you're on the same level as everyone else," Cotta said. "Coming in, I was at the bottom because everyone else was already experienced."
Back home in California, her friends were still wrapping up high school seasons and starting playoff runs. Meanwhile, she was taking a biology lab and psychology while trying to adjust to a new coaching staff and higher level of play.
"I think we got really lucky with the staff that we got, and it made the transition much easier because of the people that they are," she said.
Her teammates have stepped into that 2,000-mile gap and offered her a family away from home. Cotta, who describes herself as "really loud and annoying" channels whatever energy she has left after practice into spending time with that family. It doesn't matter if they're watching shows, taking a nap or spending time outside the dorms, she emphasized that she has the most fun whenever she's simply with her friends.
"I think that it is really easy to feel like a family here," she added. "Everyone is trying to make you better. They want you here. They're happy you are here, and if you ever need anything, they aren't just going to leave you hung out to dry. You always have help no matter what."
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC."
STARKVILLE – It took about a week for it to really sink in for Madison Cotta.
More than 2,000 miles from her home in Tulare, California, she was about to begin her college experience a bit earlier than most. After graduating and enrolling early in the spring, Cotta had finished moving into her dorm with help from her parents in January. She wouldn't see them again until spring break.
"When they left it was weird," she said. "I did not feel like they were actually going to leave. I thought I was going to see them the next day. They flew home, and I didn't get homesick until the weekend where my body was like, 'Oh, mom and dad are not here.'"
Cotta's parents had always supported her, from taking the risk of traveling to Starkville for a summer day camp with the hope she'd be noticed and recruited to pushing her to take college classes online in high school and double on government and economics in the same semester so she could graduate early.
"[My dad] was my first best friend," Cotta said. "We are very close. He has always had my back when it came to soccer and pushing me to get here. I really think that he and my mom were a big factor of me being able to be here, not just financially but mindset-wise."
Now she was stepping into a new challenge, without her usual support system in the next room.
At first she struggled to find a balance between the heavier class load and the amount of time she needed to spend on soccer, but the biggest adjustment came on the field.
"It was a reality check because you come from being one of the best ones on your club, and you get here and you're on the same level as everyone else," Cotta said. "Coming in, I was at the bottom because everyone else was already experienced."
Back home in California, her friends were still wrapping up high school seasons and starting playoff runs. Meanwhile, she was taking a biology lab and psychology while trying to adjust to a new coaching staff and higher level of play.
"I think we got really lucky with the staff that we got, and it made the transition much easier because of the people that they are," she said.
Her teammates have stepped into that 2,000-mile gap and offered her a family away from home. Cotta, who describes herself as "really loud and annoying" channels whatever energy she has left after practice into spending time with that family. It doesn't matter if they're watching shows, taking a nap or spending time outside the dorms, she emphasized that she has the most fun whenever she's simply with her friends.
"I think that it is really easy to feel like a family here," she added. "Everyone is trying to make you better. They want you here. They're happy you are here, and if you ever need anything, they aren't just going to leave you hung out to dry. You always have help no matter what."
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC."
Players Mentioned
M/F
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