High school basketball coach Tim Notke is known for his famous quote: “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” 

Madelyn Kitchen is a sophomore at Grove High School where hard work and talent come naturally to the Ridgerunners. Kitchen also competes in track and field, but her passion is for soccer. As a freshman Maddie broke the school’s record with 15 goals and added six assists, earning her the title of Most Valuable Player for her team. 

“Madelyn is one of the most talented and competitive athletes that I have ever coached,” said head soccer coach Walker Botts. 

Madelyn can be found on the field playing two positions, forward or midfielder. Both have important roles and they come with a lot of responsibilities. Kitchen says she is a very fast runner and one of her favorite career highlights is of her scoring a header and shooting far. 

Madelyn’s mother is the biggest role model in her life, and she wouldn’t be the athlete she is today without the love and sacrifices that her mom has made throughout the years. Another influence in her life has been one of Madelyn’s favorite teachers, Mrs. Guthridge. She says Mrs. Guthridge has pushed her to be a better student and that she has encouraged her to think outside of the box. 

In her free time, Madelyn can be found spending time with family, hanging out with her friends, training or working out, and attending Mass. While she is still in school, Maddie wants to focus on sharpening her skills and become a stronger athlete. She is working to build her athletic portfolio with game highlights and is taking action to be recruited to play soccer at the next level. Her plan is to major in animal science and become a veterinarian.