Meet the Athletes: Janine Gordon

For senior Lady Patriot soccer player Janine Gordon, balancing an intense practice schedule and her class load has not been difficult.

Gordon, a native of Pembroke Pines, Florida, has been playing soccer since she was seven years old.

Gordon initially began playing soccer after her mother urged her to play a sport.

“My mom is really big on sports being character-building activities, so she kind of just forced me into playing a sport,” Gordon said.

Gordon has always played the goalkeeping position and been attracted to the life that comes with being a goalkeeper.

“I just like the adventure and how daring it is,” Gordon said. “I like throwing myself in front of the ball and at a young age a lot of kids didn’t want a ball going fast at their face.”

Gordon continued playing soccer throughout her childhood and began playing travel ball at the age of 11 for the Plantation Eagles. She played through both middle and high school and was named her school soccer team’s most valuable player at Western High School.

After graduation, Gordon decided to attend FMU due to numerous scholarship opportunities offered to her by the university.

According to Gordon, being a student-athlete in college is easier than being a student-athlete in high school.

“I think it’s easier to play in college than it is in high school only because of the time,” Gordon said. “In high school, you’re playing for two hours a day, but then you’re in school from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m., but in college it’s so different. My day is done at 12 p.m., so I have all that time to get it together and then do soccer. I’ve always done it so there’s not really much of an adjustment.”

Gordon said she said she enjoys many things about being a part of the soccer program.

“There’s always like a hoorah about being a student-athlete, and in my opinion it’s like the next level before going professional,” Gordon said. “And I don’t plan on going professional so it’s pretty self-fulfilling.”

For Gordon, being one of her team’s leaders gives her a sense of pride knowing that she is a leader and her teammates can come to her both on and off the field and she can do the same.

Gordon and the FMU women’s soccer team usually practice six days per week with Sunday being the teams off day. During the soccer season, the Lady Patriots soccer team has a game every Wednesday and Saturday.

In order to balance a schedule that is filled with schoolwork, practices and games, Gordon said she tries to get her schoolwork done first so she can give soccer her undivided attention.

Gordon is not impressive only on the field. During her time as a student-athlete, she has received many honors including being named to the Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Gordon was also awarded the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award in 2017.

Outside of soccer, Gordon said she enjoys practicing self-love and nourishment along with yoga.

After graduating with a major in political science and a minor in mass communication, Gordon plans on returning to Florida to learn a law degree from Florida International University. She hopes to practice medical malpractice law.