Margo Taylor

By Kara Walser
UWRF Sports Information

Margo Taylor, a senior from Forest Lake, Minn., is in her fourth and final year with the Falcon softball team and with a double major in broadcast journalism and marketing communications, with a minor in coaching, you might wonder how she has time for anything else.  

Her softball coach, Faye Perkins, is grateful she gives her time and energy to the sport. "Margo is an incredible team player. She is a true student-athlete. She takes both her athletic and academic responsibilities seriously," she says.

Taylor's current position on the team has been the bullpen catcher the last four years, warming up and working the pitchers before and during games so they are ready to enter the game. "This is a critical but sometimes thankless role for the team," says Perkins.

Taylor is also a pinch hitter and "has come through with some critical hits," says Perkins. She is also at times the designated player, but is also a team leader and was voted the co-captain this year by her teammates.

Taylor explains that some of her best friends are her teammates. "We are a very close-knit team and we like to hang out with one another off of the field. As a team, we know that we have to support and push one another to help meet our goals and we all have a great relationship with one another," says Taylor.

"Margo fulfills her role with enthusiasm and a smile on her face. She is just so willing to help the team in any way she can to make the team the best they can be and never complains about a thing," says Perkins.

"I love this game for so many reasons," says Taylor. "First of all, I love the teamwork and camaraderie that comes with it. I love the action and the intense competitiveness. I also get to play with a bunch of great people who are there with me and we all support one another both on and off the field."

Taylor has been playing been softball for as long as she can remember. She started in kindergarten, a year before she was officially supposed to, at the request of the coach, her mom. "I got into catching in the fourth grade because I was the only one willing to put on all the gear," she says. "I love being able to touch the ball every play as a catcher and having the control." Taylor gives a lot of credit to her mom, Shelley, and her two older sisters, Leah and Kelsey, for who she is today. "My family is very important to me," she says. "My sisters are great. They both are very supportive and always push me to be better," she says. All three sisters play sports and Taylor gives them credit for her competitiveness as they always "out do" or "out play" other athletes.

Her biggest role model is her mom, Shelley. "She is such an amazing woman and I can honestly say I don't know how she does everything she does." Taylor goes on to explain that after her parents divorced it was her mother that was there to drive the girls to practices and games for their sports, including volleyball, basketball, and softball. "She is my rock, my shoulder to cry on, the one pulling pranks and joking with me, and she is the biggest influence in my life," says Taylor. "She always puts other people's needs before her own."

Just like her mother, Taylor also puts others' needs before her own. "She would drop anything to help someone at a moment's notice," says Perkins. "She is one of the most unselfish players I have ever coached."  

Taylor not only excels at softball, but is a great student too. She is double majoring in broadcast journalism and marketing communications with a coaching minor. In 2004, 2005, and 2006 Margo was named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and a National Fastpitch Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete.

"I have always been interested in news, especially sports news and I love to talk about sports. I thought this would be a great way to get into sports broadcasting," she says. After learning more about broadcast journalism, she found another passion: photojournalism. "I would love to work both in front of and behind the scenes working as a sports commentator/announcer and a sports photojournalist."

"What's even more incredible about Margo is not only how she balances academics and athletics but how she is also extremely involved in many other activities on and off campus," said Perkins. She has been involved as an anchor, producer, audio engineer, camera person, and editor on Focus On U, a student broadcasters organization; worked at WRFW, the campus radio station, as an engineer; worked in television services video taping campus activities; as an intramural official and score keeper for volleyball and basketball; a nanny and baby-sitter during the summer; and she has worked with young athletes at the Blue Chip Sports Academy in Burnsville. "Margo is a pretty incredible person," said Perkins.

In her free time, Taylor likes to spend time with friends, watch movies, go biking or rollerblading, and play other sports like volleyball, tennis, or basketball. "In the summer, I absolutely love being in the water, whether its swimming, tubing, jet-skiing, attempting to wake board, or just hanging out on the pontoon," she says. Some of her favorites things include her "mama's Cajun chicken alfredo", hip-hop music, and watching Minnesota sports teams.

Taylor enjoys the "small-town atmosphere" of River Falls. "I like the professors here and how helpful and approachable they are to students," says Taylor. Some of her favorite professors are Brad Caskey, a psychology teacher who makes learning fun, interesting, and challenging all at the same time, and Sandy Ellis, who is always very helpful because "she knows my strengths and weaknesses and works with me to become a better journalist."

The way she chose to go to River Falls is not something she would recommend, but something that she says worked out great for her. "I never visited campus and I knew very little about the school. I knew that it was close to home, had a good journalism program, and would allow me to play softball. I sent in my application after high school and this was the only school I applied to, so I was lucky everything worked out as well as it has here," she says.

After graduation in May 2008, Taylor hopes to have a job working with FSN North as a sports photojournalist. "I am very interested in going to school to become a certified massage therapist as well and do that on the side in the future," she says.  

Taylor's college experience so far has been great. She has met many great people and made many wonderful memories. "I always try to get others to come here for school because I have enjoyed my experience so much that I want others to as well," she says.

Her advice to incoming students includes, "making the most out of your college experience. It is like nothing you have ever experienced before. Go out and meet new people!"

Her advice to young athletes includes, "keep working hard and enjoying the game you love. If you love the game, stick with it and always continue to learn and get better. Be the best you can be and give 100 percent! If you do that, you will go far in your sport and in life!"