Madison Kerest ’24 makes her debut in GA sports by starting a new activity: football. Coming from a background of playing soccer, she is kicking for the football team and has found a new love for the game.
Besides changing schools, Maddie is also changing sports. This will be her first season kicking, and she emphasizes how “exciting it is to try something new and do something besides playing soccer.” Maddie commented on the switch to football being “a last minute decision” and reflects that it has been “more fun than expected.” Her new passion for kicking helps drive her, and she cannot wait to improve her skills with the GA program.
The obvious elephant in the room is that Maddie is the only female on the team. Despite this difference, Maddie has certainly acclimated well and found her place within the program. In a recent interview, she describes the GA football program as “very fun, inclusive, and supportive” towards her, along with being a “very competitive and kind environment.” She highlights how she truly feels connected with her teammates and had trouble thinking of any difficulties or challenges playing the game. She did mention, however, that the practice jerseys are put in the boys locker room, but one of her friends is always happy to get one for her.
At practice, Maddie loves the competition days because “everyone gets very competitive and into the game; it’s very exciting.” As a freshman in high school, she takes the constructive criticism of the upperclassmen to heart. Maddie remarks on the other players willingness to help her, and when she makes a mistake, “they make sure [she] knows how to fix it for next time.” The upperclassmen have really stepped up in making sure the team feels like a family.
It’s refreshing to see Germantown Academy’s inclusive and accepting culture in the classroom being mirrored on the football field and around campus in general. The GA community commends her for stepping outside of her comfort zone of sports and wishes her the best of luck in the upcoming season. The community cannot wait to see what Maddie will do in the future of her sports career.
Wow 😲
Madison is our granddaughter & is absolutely AWESOME!!
She is always ready to help at home, her friends
& in the community. She is a very hard worker & committed in whatever she sets out to do.
On or off the field, we continue to be sooo proud of her!!