« DI Women’s Soccer 2012

Bailey Brandon

School
Central Michigan
Position
Defender/Midfielder
Major
Law and Economics

Classroom

As dominant a defender as Brandon has been throughout her playing career at Central Michigan University, as a student she has been even more dedicated. A law and economics major who has earned a cumulative 3.93 GPA through three years, Brandon has exemplified what it means to truly be an elite student-athlete. In 2011 Brandon and two teammates were named the first Capital One/CoSIDA All-Americans in program history, earning third-team distinctions. Brandon was also named to the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District V first team, the NSCAA Scholar All-Central third team and the Academic All-Mid-American Conference team. In 2010 she earned CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV third-team honors and Academic All-MAC honors. As a business student she was the winner of the CMU Business Core Project Competition, is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, has been named to the president’s list twice and to the dean’s list her remaining four semesters. She also earned the CMU Outstanding Student Scholarship, and was a finalist for the CMU Dick Enberg Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a junior.

Character

During games, in practice and off the field, Brandon displays characteristics that lead to success in any sphere of life. Her head coach, Neil Stafford, describes her as an honest, tough, mature and responsible high achiever who pushes herself and everyone around her for the highest levels of success. In competition and practice, Brandon not only holds herself accountable for her performance with her honesty, but she is vocal enough to hold her teammates and coaches accountable, too, which leads to better communication amongst the team and ultimately success. Her toughness is second-to-none, according to Stafford, who recalled a signature moment in the 2009 Mid-American Conference tournament semifinals against Toledo when she fired the game-winning penalty kick, despite playing the entire game with what eventually turned out to be a partially torn ligament in her knee. That same toughness and perseverance allows Brandon to excel at the highest levels on the pitch, in the classroom and in the community, despite the strenuous demands on time and effort required of each. Part of what drives Brandon in all aspects of her life is her high-achieving mindset, which has paid dividends for her across the board. Described as a “go-getter” by Stafford, she is constantly looking to improve herself, her team, her grades and her community. When she completes a task, drill, assignment or project, she is eager to move on to the next and complete it all the same.

Community

Brandon has been as active in the community as she is in the Chippewas’ defensive backfield. Her most meaningful volunteer experience has been working with youth camps and leagues run by the Livonia City Soccer Club. Having grown up playing for the club, she feels a special connection to working with the young, up-and-coming players, whose shoes she was in not so long ago. She values helping the children reach their potential both on the field as players and off the field as people. As a leadership minor at Central Michigan, volunteerism for the greater good is an important part of her life. She has been active in the bimonthly food pantry program, the Red Cross food drive, tutoring struggling students, collecting recycled waste across campus and the Safer Sex Patrol program. She has also organized fundraisers to help local elementary schools purchase new computers and technology to be better able to teach the next generation. Brandon and her CMU teammates have supported the drive for a cure to cancer through the “Kick Away Cancer” initiative in 2011, during which the Chippewas wore pink t-shirts during pre-game warm-ups to display a united front against breast cancer. In December of 2011 she helped raise money and purchase gifts for the United Way’s Annual Adopt-A-Family program for local families in need during the holiday season. She has also participated in the CMU “Jock Rock” mock rock competition for charity, which raised more than $1,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Michigan in 2012 and $1,400 for the American Red Cross in 2011.

Competition

Having started 63 of her 66 games at Central Michigan, Brandon has been an impact player from the day she first took the field for the Chippewas. She was named to the All-Mid-American Conference first team in both 2010 and 2011, and was the MAC Freshman of the year and a second-team All-MAC selection in her debut 2009 season. During her breakout freshman season she was named a first-team NSCAA Great Lakes Region selection, and figured prominently on a defense that led NCAA Division I with 19 shutouts. In 2010 her leadership on the defense grew as the Chippewas led the MAC in shutouts (12), ranked 14th nationally in goals against average and 17th in shutout percentage.  She was also named to the Soccer America All-Freshman team. In 2011 the CMU defense surrendered just .41 goals per game in 2011, the fourth-lowest average among NCAA Division I teams. Her leadership on the defense was also instrumental in allowing only one goal in eight home games in 2011, and seven goals in the regular season, setting a new Mid-American Conference record. She has scored two goals, one of which was a game-winner in 2011, and tallied 11 assists for a total of 15 points in her career.