MADISON – Taylor Turpin is concentrating her interests on the field for soccer and on the stage with dance.  

“I play on the AYSO select team, and our team name is Madison Havoc. I play right-mid and left back,” Taylor said. “My favorite sport is soccer. I like this sport because it’s such a team sport and you can always improve.”

However, she also has played softball and basketball in previous years. She also took gymnastics for a couple of years. “This past year, she narrowed in on soccer and dance and has really found enjoyment in both,” her mother Alicia said.

A fifth grader at Madison Elementary School, Taylor takes dance classes at The Dance Company. Her younger sister Sydney is in third grade at Madison elementary. Her parents, Jason and Alicia Turpin, both work as propulsion engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center.  

“My mom and dad are from Arkansas and moved here after college to work at NASA in 199,” Taylor said. “My sister and I have always lived here in Madison.”

“This is my first year coaching Taylor and what an absolute pleasure it has been,” Joe Mullins said. He describes Taylor as always positive with a motivational approach toward everything.

“Whether it’s learning a new skill or facing something disappointing, she always has the proper mindset,” Mullin said. “The values that Taylor possesses will take her far in life at anything she chooses to do.”

Mullins thanked Jason and Alicia Taylor for their constant support from the sidelines. 

Q & A

Q: What are your favorite restaurants in Madison?

A: “Some of my favorite restaurants are Cracker Barrel, Panera Bread and IHOP,” Taylor said.

Q: What’s your favorite food?

A: “My mom’s Sloppy Joes.”

Q: What are your favorite sports teams?

A: Harlem Globe Trotters and Women’s U.S. Soccer Team.

Q: What is your favorite sports memory?

A: “When we were at our Franklin, Tenn. tournament, I scored a goal that bounced off the cross bar and flew into the net,” Taylor said.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: “I like to read, dance and program in Python,” Taylor said.