After our national championship last April, you may have heard people say that the University of Florida is “everything school,” but what does that mean? Most universities that compete at the Division I level are grouped together based on the sport that they’re known to be good at. There are football schools, like ‘Bama, Ohio State and LSU. There are basketball schools such as the “Blue Bloods:” Duke, Kentucky, UCLA, etc. Securing our third men’s basketball national championship meant that UF became the only D1 school to have three national championships in football and basketball. While that amazing accomplishment makes me so proud to be a part of the Gator Nation, I think it’s kind of silly that we’re considered an everything school, with the focus being solely on our male athletic programs. We call ourselves an everything school, but fail to celebrate everyone. In honor of International Women’s Month, I felt that it was more than appropriate to highlight a couple of our Gator girls.
The Basics
I could literally write entire articles about the athletic history of just one of these awesome ladies, but I’ll save you the screen time and cut right to the chase:
Taylor Parks is a sophomore setter for the University of Florida volleyball team. A fun fact about Taylor is that she can speak Spanish. #bilingualqueen
Michaela Mattes is a redshirt sophomore freestyle/IM swimmer for the University of Florida women’s swim and dive team. An artist who always makes her hype playlist is Sabrina Carpenter.
Bailey Goodnight is a junior at the University of Florida in her third year as a Dazzler. Her top restaurant recommendation in Gainesville is Oak, a perfect mix of good food and good vibes!
Tell me a little bit about how you started your sport!
Parks: “My mom played volleyball at Georgia Tech and continued to coach afterwards, so I have always been around volleyball pretty much since I was born. My cousin played volleyball at the University of Florida when I was a young girl, and I loved going to her games. Like any other little girl, I immediately developed a dream to play volleyball at the University of Florida one day. I first joined a club team at the age of nine, with my mom as my first coach and just fell in love with the sport and the relationships it brought me.”
Mattes: “I started competitively swimming when I was ten years old with the Sarasota Sharks, and it’s been in my life ever since. I have been so fortunate throughout my swimming career to be able to swim here at UF and represent Team USA.”
Goodnight: “I started dancing when I was two or three years old, but fourth grade was when I started competing with my studio. We would perform dance solos, duets and group dances, and this experience really shaped me into the person I am now! I joined my high school’s dance team in ninth grade, where I got to learn different things like pom and kick line, which you don’t see at many studios. That prepared me best to audition for The Dazzlers at the end of my senior year of high school. I am in my third year on The Dazzlers, and I auditioned for many reasons. First, I grew up in a Gator family, which led me to love the school and community at a young age. Second, in high school, I got to attend a few Dazzler prep clinics, which is basically where you get to learn from the Dazzlers on the team as well as the coach. After doing the clinics, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of because not only do I love Florida, but I really could tell that this team was genuine and a family. Now, as I have been on the team for three years, I can say that I was right!”
Tell me about your favorite moment(s) as an athlete.
Parks: “My favorite moment as an athlete was when my club team won a National Championship in 17U. I loved the girls so much, and there is no one I would’ve rather done it with. My other favorite moment as an athlete was winning a gold medal in Costa Rica at the U21 Pan American Cup with the USA U21 National Team this past summer. I loved the coaches and team so much, and it was an experience I am so thankful for and will never forget.”
Mattes: “My favorite moment was winning Gold and Bronze for Team USA at the World University Games.”
Goodnight: “My favorite moments are before football and basketball games because we are in our locker room or dressing room as a full team, listening to music, dancing and getting ready for the game. It is really fun because we get to connect more as people and friends.”
Do you have words of advice for up-and-coming female athletes?
Parks: “It is really important for young female athletes to fall in love with the process. Everyone wants to win, but only some people are willing to do everything it takes to win. When you love learning, you will never stop improving, and when you know you are as prepared as possible, confidence comes naturally.”
Mattes: “Some words of advice that I would give up and coming female athletes is to trust yourself and your abilities, even when others doubt you. There will be moments where you feel overlooked or underestimated, but let that fuel you instead of discouraging you. Surround yourself with people who support your goals and push you to grow!”
Goodnight: “For up-and-coming female athletes, my biggest advice is to always remember why you love your sport, because it gets so busy at times. It also flies by so fast, so just soak in every moment, and as my coach always says, “be where your feet are,” which means stay present.”
Although Taylor and Michaela won’t be back at the O’Dome until fall and next spring, respectively, you can still keep up with them and their teammates via social media: @gatorsvb and @gatorsswimdv. If you’re lucky enough to snag a seat at one of the last few home games for men’s or women’s basketball, you might spot Bailey! If not, you can still stay up-to-date on all things Dazzlers by following @gatorsdazzlers on IG.
That being said, Taylor, Michaela and Bailey make up just a fraction of the amazing athletes that the female athletes that represent UF. If you don’t already plan on it, I would highly, highly encourage you to go watch a gymnastics meet, a women’s tennis match or a track meet this spring. Beyond just celebrating International Women’s Month, these athletes are super duper talented and put on quite a show. GGSH: Gator Girls Stay Hot!