Women’s soccer player Angel Bennet is a strong believer in kindness and compassion. Bennet describes her close bonds with her teammates and the family they have created together (Courtesy of Angel Bennet).
To me, athletics on college campuses have always seemed like a boys club. Every time I go out looking to watch a game it seems like the boys’ teams have a much more sizable crowd than that of the womens’ teams. In this world of male-dominated sports and toxic masculinity you may at times expect female athletes to be resentful; but for Angel Bennet that is the absolute opposite.
Bennet is a freshman on the Geneseo women’s soccer team. She started playing soccer at the age of three in her hometown of Webster, N.Y. Throughout the years, she continued to develop her skills to be the athlete she is today.
In life, Bennet has one simple philosophy. She believes that kindness and selflessness are what set you up for success, no matter what happens. Bennet lives out this philosophy by helping people with homework, hyping them up or even giving away some Blow-Pops that she has tucked away in her room.
“I will find a way to connect with anybody and get to know them as a person. I do not care who they are, I will try to be their friend. I will try to find a way to do something for you even if you will not do anything for me,” she said.
During games she can be found on the field playing goalie or cheering for her teammates from the sidelines. Bennet is a self-proclaimed “very sporty gal” that spends most of her time out on the field or inside studying in hopes of becoming a chiropractor one day and opening a private practice of her own.
To Bennet, friendship and family are two of the most important things in life. “There are two different types of family. You have the type of family that you are born into and you have the family you find along the way. My teammates are like my family; I know they will always watch out for me no matter what happens, and I know that our friendships will become stronger every day,” she said.
On Saturday nights you can find Bennet hanging out with her teammates, playing games, listening to her favorite playlists and watching Netflix. The only exception to this is on nights when there will be a big game the next day. In that case, she will be home preparing for the game by getting a full night’s rest and de-stressing so that she can focus on being the best teammate possible on the field.
Along with being a female athlete, Bennet is also part of the LGBTQ+ community showing pride on and off the field. “At my high school I was really hesitant to talk about me being gay. I was scared to tell people because I thought they would treat me differently, but over the past year I have learned to accept who I am and forge stronger connections with people,” she said.
Looking forward to the next four years, Bennet is excited to see what comes next. Though it is obvious that college will not be the easiest time in the world, the friendships and experiences she will have will hopefully make it the best four years of her life, just as long as friends are always there for her and there are enough Blow Pops to go around.