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Arcola grad and former Illini softball and basketball player returns home as a coach
After a standout four-year softball career and successful season of basketball at the University of Illinois, Taylor Edwards is returning to her alma mater to coach the Arcola High School girls basketball team. (Courtesy: University of Illinois Athletics)

Arcola grad and former Illini softball and basketball player returns home as a coach

ARCOLA, Ill. (BVM) — Taylor Edwards had an impressive four-sport career at Arcola High School. After continuing on to play two sports in college at the University of Illinois, Edwards is back at Arcola to teach a new generation of young basketball stars.

Edwards herself began playing basketball at a young age, in addition to several other sports including softball, volleyball and track and field.

Seeing her older sister compete, the now-23-year-old had a desire to do the same. While basketball and softball were the sisters’ two main sports, one of Edwards’ favorite memories from her youth comes from winning track and field state championships during seventh and eighth grade in the 800-meter race.

According to Edwards, her love of sports grew thanks to some of the great coaches she had during her youth. That passion only got stronger in high school at Arcola, where she continued to play all four sports that she grew up with.

“Being from Arcola, playing four sports was very manageable,” Edwards explained. “I had really good coaches that knew I was committed to being the best I could be. I really, really enjoyed playing multiple sports. I looked at it as a great form of cross-training and it helped me out moving forward.”

As a Purple Rider, Edwards was a star no matter the season. The multi-sport athlete was a first team all-conference volleyball player, and three-time all-conference track runner. But her main sports of basketball and softball are where she really excelled.

On the hardwood, Edwards credited the team bond and closeness for success. She got to play with her older sister for her first two seasons at Arcola, as well as many close friends and a long-tenured coach in Nancy Stiff.

Taylor Edwards was an absolute star on the court at Arcola, and is the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,476 points. (Courtesy: Arcola High School)

By the time her four-year career was up, Edwards left the program as the all-time leading scorer with 1,476 points. The four-year captain was also named the Herald & Review Area Girls Basketball Player of the Year in her junior season in 2014, and helped lead her team to a Class 1A regional championship in 2015.

“It’s always nice to get the recognition,” Edwards said. “I really did try to hold myself to a standard where I always pushed myself really hard in practice and put in the extra time and it paid off. Understanding what it takes to be a high achiever and continuing those habits to continue to chase down the next goal that you set for yourself is really what those accolades taught me.”

Her success on the hardwood was equally matched on the softball diamond. Edwards was again a multi-time first team all-conference selection in softball, batting .457 as a freshman, .486 as a sophomore, and .500 as a junior. She helped lead the Purple Riders to new heights, winning sectionals for the first time in Arcola softball history. As a junior, Edwards also threw a no-hitter — one of the fondest memories of her career.

Needless to say, Edwards had a collegiate athletic future, and perhaps in multiple sports. Coming from a small town, the 23-year-old did not receive a lot of recruiting attention. While she would have liked to play multiple sports in college, it was Edwards’ play on the softball field that was garnering interest from Division I schools.

Edwards initially was looking to compete somewhere warm, and was intrigued by playing at the University of Florida as a walk-on. However, soon after declining that option, Edwards began being recruited by the University of Illinois. Although she had not considered the Fighting Illini in the past, that quickly changed after a visit to the school.

“When I came on campus, I really did fall in love with it and fell in love with the opportunity to compete for my home state,” Edwards said. “As soon as they brought me on campus and I met the coaching staff, it was really a no-brainer for me.”

Just as she did at Arcola, Edwards made an immediate impact on the Illinois softball program. In her first start freshman year, she pitched a complete-game shutout, giving up just three hits. Another win the next day would lead Edwards to Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. The star athlete ended her first collegiate campaign with a 4-0 record, and a team-best 2.69 ERA. 

Taylor Edwards shined on the softball field for the Fighting Illini, highlighted by a sophomore campaign in which she went 14-2 with a 2.67 ERA. (Courtesy: University of Illinois Athletics)

As a sophomore, Edwards appeared on the mound 24 times, finishing with an impressive 14-2 record, and improving her ERA to 2.67. Despite her ERA jumping up a bit as she continued to pitch more as an upperclassmen, Edwards still left a lasting impact at Illinois that helped lead the team to the NCAA Tournament in three of her four years.

While her on-field play was tremendous, perhaps some of Edwards’ most prestigious accolades came from what she did beyond the game. In the classroom, Edwards has always been a star as well, as she was Arcola’s 2015 class valedictorian. While at Illinois, she was an Academic All-Big Ten and All-American Scholar Athlete.

“For me, the more things you get to be involved in, the more opportunities you get,” Edwards explained. “The valedictorian honor in high school was really cool and I was really thankful for that. Carrying that on in college was really challenging but I appreciated that and had a lot of resources and people that were willing to help me get to where I wanted to be.”

Edwards also received numerous honors that exemplified her high character during her time in Champaign, Ill. In 2018, the 23-year-old was honored with the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, as well as the Fighting Illini Spirit Award — given to a student-athlete who best exemplifies the spirit, courage, effort and dedication of the Fighting Illini according to the university.

The Illinois grad would end up taking home that same award in 2020, while also earning a Big Ten Medal of Honor and being nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year.

Being recognized beyond what she does on the field or court has always meant a lot to Edwards.

“The one thing that I try to take into every sport that I play is maintaining my identity as a person over my identity as an athlete,” Edwards said. “Receiving those awards just tied it all together. Investing fully in everything I’ve been a part of is what has given me the chance to be considered for these awards and I really am thankful for that.”

Although her softball career was over after those four years, Edwards’ athletic career was not. After her freshman year, Edwards began missing basketball. She actually considered an offer to walk on with Illinois’ women’s basketball team as a sophomore, but chose to instead place all her focus on softball.

However, after her softball career concluded, Edwards reached out again to play during her fifth year while she was obtaining her masters degree. She ended up doing just that, walking on with the Fighting Illini women’s basketball program.

“It was kind of a miracle the way it all played out,” Edwards said. “I’m really thankful for it and wouldn’t change anything about it. It was a really powerful year for me and I made it clear that I wanted to walk on simply because I love the game of basketball and really care about Illinois.”

Although her playing time as a walk-on was limited, Edwards embraced a leadership role, and even earned a scholarship for the second semester.

“To see it all pay off the second semester was just a big weight lifted off my shoulders,” the Illini star said. “Seeing my teammates’ reaction to me being awarded a scholarship made everything come full circle and allowed me to see that I made the right decision.”

While at Illinois, Edwards majored in recreation sport and tourism, and obtained a master’s in sports management. Although she aimed to work in collegiate sport administration, Edwards has gone down a different path that she didn’t always anticipate.

Earlier this year, the head coaching position for the girls basketball program at Arcola became available. A couple friends as well as her parents encouraged Edwards to consider applying for the position, which she initially dismissed. But after thinking about it more and more, Edwards began warming up to the idea, and decided to interview. 

“I never really thought I wanted to go into coaching,” Edwards said. “But I really got excited about what it would look like for me to go back to Arcola and lead that program.”

A true leader throughout her athletic career, Edwards was a perfect fit back at her alma mater, and was quickly hired as head coach. Now, she has the opportunity to pass down her successful mindset to the next generation.

“I’m excited to take the lead but my intention is to allow the girls to see that there is a lot more to high school basketball than seeing the ball go through the hoop,” Edwards said. “It’s more about the character building, the skills you learn, the relationships you make and how the sport itself can make you a better leader and person.”

A true leader throughout her athletic career, Taylor Edwards now has the chance to pass down what she has learned to the Arcola High School girls basketball team. (Courtesy: University of Illinois Athletics)

Of course, with the uncertainty surrounding winter sports due to the pandemic, it has not been an easy time to start for Edwards. Not knowing if and when her team will play, nor what the next few months will entail has been challenging. However, that has given a chance for the coach to hone in on the mental aspect of the game with her girls.

At the same time she was hired at Arcola, Edwards also earned a position with USA Youth Hoops — an organization which plans and organizes travel basketball tournaments for AAU teams. Edwards’ main role is to build up the girls’ side of the organization, creating a better experience while encouraging more girls to play.

With her new positions, Edwards has already seeked out advice from some of her former coaches that meant so much to her athletic career, and has taken away a lot from them over the years.

“I’ve called probably five or six of my former coaches,” Edwards said. “Every single one of the coaches I’ve had have shaped me or taught me something that I’ve used and applied so that will continue to be a thing that I do.”

While she still might have a lot to learn, Edwards is excited for the opportunity to be back at Arcola, leading a program that she left a lasting impact on as a player. Now, she will look to do the same as a coach.

“The legacy that I wanted to leave when I graduated at Arcola is that anything is possible,” Edwards said. “I really want to encourage these girls to set a goal, understand what it takes to achieve it and believe in themselves. Regardless of what it is that they want to do, I want to help them get there and really empower these girls to live a life that they are proud to lead.”