A Lane I Never Saw Coming 

I’m Maddie Hays, and here’s how I found my way to Simpson College and fell in love with more than one sport.

I was raised in Colorado and had always dreamed of playing in college. During my college search, the Simpson soccer coach, Jeremy Reinert, called me and asked if I’d ever heard of Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. I hadn’t. After we hung up, I Googled it, and honestly, I wasn’t impressed. A small school in the middle of nowhere wasn’t part of my plan.

But Coach Reinert kept in contact. He took a personal interest in me, not just as an athlete, but as a person. While road-tripping through Chicago, I found myself heading west toward Des Moines. Curiosity got the best of me, and I took a quick detour down to Indianola. I didn’t schedule a visit. I didn’t tell anyone I was coming. I just walked around campus, and I fell in love. It felt right to the red brick, the big trees, and the quiet charm of the place.

My dad still tells me he knew it was the place for me because I was glowing after that little undercover visit.

I came back for an official visit that fall. It was during COVID, so things felt a little off. For example, people were training in pods, and the campus was quieter than usual. But even then, I could see how proud students were to be at Simpson. Everyone was friendly, wearing Simpson gear and carrying themselves like they belonged. The more I explored other schools, the more I realized Simpson already felt at home.

Freshman year brought success on the field and in the classroom. I changed my major a few times (as most of us do), joined the tennis team, and found friendships that I know will last a lifetime.

May Term came around, and I took a leap and studied abroad in Ecuador with one of my best friends, Layna. I wasn’t a biology major, and the trip felt more like experiencing than studying. It was the trip of a lifetime. While I was there, my brother was diagnosed with cancer. It shook me, and I wasn’t sure if Simpson would still feel at home. But my advisors and coaches were supportive in every way. They worked with me so I could go home when needed without missing a beat in school. I never felt like just a number, I felt like I mattered.

My soccer season was limited, but that opened the door to something new. I got more involved on campus especially with Religious Life Community and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I was living with two track athletes, so I’d hang out with the track team when soccer was traveling. I loved the game nights, the fall sand volleyball tournaments, and the “Pfeif-o-clock” dinners. Being around that energy gave me a crazy idea: maybe I should try track.

I didn’t come to college thinking I’d be a track athlete. It wasn’t in the plan. But once I stepped into that world, I couldn’t imagine my life without it. The people, the challenge, the team became one of the best parts of my college experience.

Seven events, no experience. It was tough, but I loved learning. Eventually, I tried the 400 hurdles, and I loved it. That race became my new obsession, a fresh goal to chase.

Junior year, I gave the multi another shot but quickly realized my strength was in running and not throwing or jumping. After one workout, Coach Hoffman told me a time he believed I’d hit that season. I laughed. But I trusted him, bought in, and sure enough, I ran that exact time.

Coach Hoffman believed in me long before I believed in myself. He saw potential, pushed me, and helped build my confidence as a runner.

That year, I hit goals I once thought were the ceiling. During my senior year, I came back with bigger goals. An injury took out my indoor season, but I came back strong for outdoor.

Honestly, there’s so much I learned and experienced at Simpson. It’s hard to put it all into words. I found multiple different jobs, found campus leadership positions, interned at the Ronald McDonald House, and got involved with the school newspaper. Somewhere along the way, I discovered that business and marketing communications were actually something I was passionate about. I even took a personal finance class that ended up teaching me things I didn’t know I needed.

What I appreciated most was the chance to live a well-balanced life. I stayed connected to my faith and got involved in the community, whether it was coaching, working with local churches, or serving through FCA at the middle and high school levels. I surrounded myself with people who shared my values and encouraged me to grow.

And then there was travel. I studied abroad, traveled with the soccer team to Costa Rica, and spent a month backpacking through Europe one summer with a friend I met at Simpson. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me a new love for adventure.

Simpson gave me so many different opportunities, more than I ever expected. I didn’t just grow as an athlete. I grew as a person. When I was down and life was hard, my teammates and friends lifted me up. When I doubted myself, my coaches believed in me.

Simpson gave me experiences I never could have imagined, friendships that will last a lifetime, and the confidence to walk into any job setting knowing I can handle it. I am thankful my curiosity brought me to what was the best four years of my life.