FINAL SEASON

 Corbin’s Abby Baylor has had a busy summer. She has spent part of that time getting ready for her senior year at Midway College and another part doing her internship with the Lexington Legends.

And as a bonding trip with the incoming freshmen soccer players at Midway, the team took a trip to Colorado working with a homeless shelter and under-privilege children.

Baylor, one of the best to ever play at Corbin High School, signed with the Eagles in 2008. She has out-lasted two head coaches and a number of teammates that enter Midway that first season when the school restarted the program.

Baylor has been a team captain all four years.

“We have been ranked third in the preseason and a lot of people think we can win it this year,” Baylor said. “I would love to go out with a conference championship.”

“It has gotten a lot better every year. I am really excited about this year.”

Baylor said she has played about every position on the field and Coach Trip Rogers will move her once gain. “He wants me to move up to the top and that’s funny because that’s what I did in high school. I played defense my first three years then played forward my senior year, so it could be a repeat of that.”

The four years have passed rather quickly for Baylor. “It has been a lot more competitive and I have liked it more because of the challenges. It’s a lot different because all the players are good. It’s been real challenging for me,” she said.

“It’s made me work hard. Not just sports, but academics too. It has helped me with my major because being involved in soccer has made realize how much I enjoy it. That’s why I decided to go into sports management,” Baylor said.

“It’s made me realize I want to be involved with soccer the rest of my life,” she said.

Baylor had to pursue her internship over the summer and she applied with the Lexington Legends and got the job. “I want to be involved with professional teams and since they were a minor league team then that would open the door for me. I worked for them and it was really, really fun. It made me realize what I want to do, what I like and don’t like as far as things in sports management because there are all kinds of things you can do.”

“When I worked with the Legends I did everything,” Baylor said. “I really enjoyed meeting the organization managers, the people involved in working with the community. I liked overseeing the stadium. I really enjoyed that. I didn’t like retail and office things as much; I liked the stuff that’s going to be outside and stuff that involves the community. Something that is going to be different everyday as opposed to working in an office and doing the same stuff everyday.”

“My boss told me I would be doing something different everyday and I literally did something different everyday,” she said. “Some games I would be working a camera and some games I would be working retail or even out in the parking lot.”

After Baylor’s experience with the Legends it was time to train for the upcoming soccer season. Her coach elected to take the group to Colorado for a team-bonding trip.

“When we were in Colorado we volunteered at a place called Urban Peak, a homeless shelter for runaway teens. Denver has the highest rate in America. They had a lot of teen runaways and homeless people.”

“We also volunteered at a cancer center in Vile Valley where they house cancer patients which is right across the street from the hospital,” Baylor said.

“The neatest thing we found out there is a World Cup for runway kids. Homeless kids from all over the country play in this World Cup. Some of them actually get scholarships from playing in the games.”

“I want to do something where I can work with sports and maybe do something in the community like work with the homeless people or even cancer patients. The trip really had an impact on me,” she added.

“While we were there, we got to watch the Colorado Rapids play. I have never seen a Minor League Soccer team play,” Baylor said. “That made me realize how fun it would be to be involved in an MLS team. All the things going on there was things I got to experience with the Legends, just a different sport.”

“It made me realize, hey, I can do this,” Baylor said. “It was an eye-opener.

Baylor talked to her coach about her goals and the two came up with some ideals. “I could possibly be doing an internship next summer with the Colorado Rapids. I’ve also been talking to the Seattle Sounders.”

Baylor is one of few area graduates who have stuck with her game plan, which is helping her to plan out a career. How hard has it been and what advice does she have to going the distance.

“A lot of people think it’s all going to be good, but good things happen and bad things happen even with my experience at Midway,” Baylor said. “On the field, off the field there have been times where it has been really tough, but even when you want to give up, you can’t. Once you stick through it that makes it even more pleasant just knowing you made it through this or that.

I can look back and see good experiences and bad ones. You will have a lot of obstacles as a freshman and sophomore. It’s a lot different than high school, you have to push yourself everyday,”

“Now that this is my senior year, I can look back at all the things that I have made it through. It just makes me proud,” Baylor added.