By Kevin Small Jr.
Melissa Brouillette of Shelton, Conn., started playing soccer for her town recreation program at the age of 4 years old and hasn’t stop playing since.
As an adolescent, she earned opportunities to play competitively across the state and went on to have a rather impressive career as goalie for Shelton High School.
At Suffolk, Brouillette has battled through her fair share of injures, but she never allowed them to slow her down.
“All four years at Suffolk I have received injuries, and each year I have fought through them,” said Brouillette. “I do whatever rehab that is needed so that I don’t miss more games than I need to. I refuse to let a little pain or the fears of getting hurt again dictate the way I play.”
Brouillette, the captain, admitted that the women’s soccer team here at Suffolk sometimes goes through a period in which it appears that they lack mental toughness. When she sees the team in that state she encourages them to keep fighting and believe that they can win.
“We need to remember that the reason we are here is because we love this game,” said Brouillette. “We can’t afford to bring ourselves down just because we lost a few games. We have to keep fighting.”
In addition to playing soccer, she works as an assistant within the Office of Orientation and New Student Programs and has also served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
According to the NCAA, the mission of the Division III SAAC is to enhance the total student athlete experience by promoting opportunity for all student athletes, protecting student athlete welfare and fostering a positive student athlete image, while maintaining the tenants of the Division III philosophy.
As an active member she provided invaluable insight, specifically in regards to how rule changes can potentially affect student athletes.
Brouillette reflected on how soccer has played such a huge role in her life.
“Through this game I’ve been able to develop long-lasting friendships as well as learn strong time-management skills.”
Brouillette will be walking across the stage this coming May with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Journalism with a concentration in public relations. She dreams of becoming an events and promotion executive.
Brouillette will be sad to leave the team because she views her teammates as a family.
“Family has always been an important part of my life,” she said. “We’re all very close and they have developed me into the person that I am today. I look forward to continuing that.”
