Ashton McCorry is a goalkeeper for the UTRGV Womenโs Soccer Team and a power forward for theย
Womenโs Basketball Team. This is McCorryโs first year participating in both Division 1 sports.
Q: What is your major?
A: โRight now, Iโm getting a [master] of science in health care administration.โ
Q: What made you choose that major and that career?
A: โI have always had dreams to go to [physician assistant] school, but being itโs my sixth year in college, Iโm not sure if I want to go for another three. So, getting a health care administration degree would help me be on the administrative side and still be around, like, the health-care industry.โ
Q: Is that what you plan to do after graduation?
A: โI love sports and I always want to be around them. So, if I do go into the health-care [industry], Iโd like to work with, like, athletes, but I also have dreams to be a college coach one day. So โฆ weโre working with two different paths and weโll see what happens.โ
Q: What do you enjoy most about either or both of your sports?
A: โI really love, like, the team aspect. Iโve never been good at doing things individually. I originally signed here to play basketball. Love [head] coach [Lane] Lord and his staff, and thereโs just, like, a culture down here that was really fun to be a part of. And then itโs [head] coach [Mark] Fosterโs second season here, and, you know, heโs trying to make that change and bring that to the soccer side of things. Itโs just been really cool to be a part of both.โ
Q: What is the biggest challenge of being a student athlete in both sports?
A: โTime management and making sure that, like, when you are on the soccer field, that youโre focused on soccer and when youโre in basketball and the gym โฆ thatโs your priority. Both the coaches have stressed to me that they donโt want to burn me out, but I like to be very involved. So, I make sure that Iโm at things for both teams all the time because I like to be very involved with my teammates and let them know that Iโm there.โ
Q: Who has been your biggest inspiration or role model?
A: โThis is kind of cliche, but I would definitely say my mom. I get, like, my busy side from her and sheโs such a caring person. I mean, thatโs who I grew up with and she was around a lot when I was a kid, and so I just kind of grew up knowing what it was like to have to care for people and, you know, make sure that you give everything that you do 100%. And I would definitely say I learned that from her.โ
Q: What is a piece of advice youโd like to give your younger self?
A: โNot to be afraid. Just once you set your mind to something, like, chase after it. โฆ Thereโs no dream thatโs too big. โฆ Iโm finally playing both sports in college, and I played three sports in high school, so I didnโt want to give them up, obviously. And, you know, I never thought that Iโd be able to say that I played two Division 1 sports, but I mean, that was a goal and I finally achieved it. So, thereโs no dream thatโs too big to reach as long as thereโs hard work.โ
Q: Are you a fan of any sports teams?
A: โYeah. Not a fan favorite, but I love the [New England] Patriots. I love Tom Brady. Yeah, you know, he moved to Tampa Bay. โฆ My dadโs from Boston, so, like, I love the Celtics, too. Kansas girl. I have to be a Chiefs fan, but I mean, Iโm basically a big-time Patriots fan.โ
Q: What is your favorite childhood memory?
A: โGoing to practices. My dad used to coach basketball. And thereโs a little picture of me in, like, a cheerleading outfit with a basketball in my hand that was bigger than half of my body. And I actually have that hanging up in my room, so I just love looking at that every day, knowing that Iโve always had a dream to be around sports forever and it started when I was really young. So, yeah, I got to go to practice and everyone would take care of me and mess around with me at practice. So, like, when I see little kids, I make that a point to make them involved in stuff.โ
Q: Do you have a hidden talent?
A: โI can play golf. I can swing the golf club pretty well.โ
Q: How far can you hit?
A: โI donโt know. My grandpa taught me to hit from the menโs tees. So, I guess pretty far, like, 3,000 yards. โฆ You know, like, Top Golf? I can hit to the [back] net.โ
–Compiled by Abigail Ollave
