Taking it One Step at a Time
By Kevin Ivany
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Selflessness. Discipline. Competitive.
The three ideals established by the University of Miami soccer players prior to the 2019 campaign also apply to the everyday life of a senior pursuing a nursing degree at the UM School of Nursing and Health Studies.
When away from the pitch and her teammates, Bayleigh Chaviers attends various three-hour lectures throughout the week. And when she isn’t jotting down notes, she is constantly taking tests. Starting next week, she and her peers will begin clinical care and will attend two clinicals a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“That will be when I go to the hospital and just apply everything I have learned in class and during lectures into practice,” Chaviers said. “It will be a pretty busy week, but even though it is hard and time consuming, it is what I want to do.”
At the hospital, Chaviers will have the opportunity to get as much hands-on experience as possible and show her professors everything she has learned.
“Some days are definitely harder than others, especially days like [Thursday] when I had a test. That is because I stayed up late [the night before] studying and I was super tired. But, again, you just have to push through, go to your next class and place your best foot forward in training,” Chaviers said when asked about balancing her intensive work load. “But, to be honest, I really like going to training just because it gets my mind off of everything. So, it is kind of like a free moment for me.”
It is this perseverance and discipline defined by Chaviers prior to the 2019 season opener that continues to help push her forward in trying to be the very best student-athlete she can be.
“You have to be disciplined to wake up and go to practice every day and work your hardest. You also have to be disciplined off the field by going to class and study hall, and eating nutritiously,” Chaviers said during training camp when asked what the term discipline means to her. “Personally, I know I have to be disciplined since my schedule while working on earning a nursing degree is so hectic. So from attending classes, practice, lift and study hall, I have to make sure I maintain a great and positive attitude.”
Along with that discipline comes an unparalleled competitiveness on the pitch that continues to stand out to second-year head soccer coach Sarah Barnes.
“She is just a good human being,” Barnes said. “She is quiet and doesn’t say a lot, but she cares about this team and this sport, and all of that is important to her.
“She is the kid who, you can tell after a game, left everything out on the field. You can see that from a physical standpoint, as well as how much she wears her emotions on her sleeve because the outcomes matter to her,” Barnes continued. “And I have a lot of respect for her because of that. She gives you everything, and in return, expects a lot. So, when the results aren’t what she wants, she takes it hard and personally. And I think that is why she is such a great competitor and why she has been so impactful.”
Entering her senior campaign, the right outside back had just four assists in her first 52 contests. But the Stephenville, Texas, native’s influence on the field went well beyond the stat sheet, Barnes said. Now, through 15 contests in 2019, Chaviers has set new career highs with three crucial goals and three assists.
“Honestly, Bayleigh didn’t have these major offensive stats last year, but I walked away from last season saying, ‘Bayleigh was one of our most dangerous attacking players because she got forward so often and created so many dangerous situations,'” Barnes said. “Whether it resulted in goals was a different story, but she still created chances. However, that has been the biggest difference this year. She is once again getting forward and pushing the ball into dangerous attacking positions, and then as a team, we have been a little bit better at taking advantage of the opportunities she has set up.”
With a game-tying goal against San Diego State on Sept. 7, a tally against Pittsburgh on Sept. 29 and the match-winning goal against Syracuse on Oct. 13, each have been crucial in gaining points for the Canes. And Chavier’s firs two mirrored each other as she made a cut back towards the outside corner of the 18-yard box, before curling the ball towards the far back post in both instances.It’s a shot Barnes says goalkeepers are not always expecting. That’s why she and Chaviers have worked tirelessly to try and perfect it.
“This past spring, [as a team] we worked a lot on crossing and finishing at the end of practices. So, that has definitely helped me to get better at placing the ball in the box for my teammates to make a play on,” Chaviers said. “Also, in the spring, Coach and I worked a lot on cutting the ball back and trying to curve it to the back post. And whether or not it goes in, we have just continued to try and work on it. So, that has been really exciting to know that has been able to work in multiple situations.”
For Barnes, outside of the numbers, it is also the senior’s selflessness that stands out to her as Chaviers is always prepared and willing to play any position on the pitch.
“Bayleigh is obviously a versatile player who not only can play a number of different positions, but is also dangerous in several of them,” Barnes said. “That is because not only is she a good player, but she is a great athlete. In addition, her mentality, competitiveness and desire to win are really strong. It is certainly at the top of the team.
“Bayleigh leads by example, in terms of the fact that she demands a lot from her teammates,” Barnes said. “She gets on others when they need to play better, need to make better decisions or work harder. But with that being said, she walks the walk. Because even though she can be demanding or hard on others, the thing is that she demands even more from herself. And I think the team understands that and respect that. So, from a soccer, effort and mentality stand point, she is just really an important player on this team.”
Now, with the clock winding down on her illustrious collegiate career, Chaviers understands what is in front of her. She has already been asked several questions about her future.
“I actually have not decided what I want to do yet,” Chaviers said. “Eventually, I definitely want to go and get a graduate degree, but the reason for why I haven’t decided is because I definitely want to continue playing soccer…I just love it so much and I really don’t know if I’ll be ready to hang up the cleats.
“But, ultimately I would definitely like to go down the road of being a nurse practitioner because last semester we had a maternity rotation and I really enjoyed the labor and delivery unit at the NICU [neonatal intensive care units],” Chaviers continued. “But that is obviously not set in stone because we still have another half of this semester and another full semester in the spring, but that is what I am leaning towards.”
And prior to the Hurricanes taking the pitch Thursday night against third-ranked North Carolina, the senior has a message to share with her teammates.
“Remember that everyone’s time for soccer is limited. So, just remember to play for each other every game and work as hard as you can every practice and match, because we all have an expiration date,” Chaviers said. “And young players coming in don’t usually realize that until it’s their senior year.”
