THOMASTON and KISSIMMEE, FLA. — The past few weeks have been hard for everyone who knew Taylor Mazurek, a former resident of Rockport and Kissimmee, Fla., who was living in Springfield, Mo. and attending Drury University when she passed away at the young age of 20-years-old Wednesday, Oct. 15. 

And when I say everyone, I don’t just mean her family — I mean those who she played for, and with. 

Taylor Mae Mazurek was a soccer player at Georges Valley High School in Thomaston, which has since merged with Rockland District High School to form Oceanside High School, and at Celebration High School in Kissimmee. For the Bucs of Thomaston, Mazurek was also a basketball player. 

“Upon notice of her passing, I was flooded with messages from alumni who had played with Taylor,” stated her head coach, Edward Kuzma, at Celebration High. 

She was a pretty well-rounded person according to several people I recently corresponded with in order to write this article, in remembrance of her life.

As the daughter of Edward J. Mazurek, Jr. and Laurie L. Taylor Mazurek, she was a 2012 honor graduate of Celebration High School and was a two-time recipient of the Double Threat award at Celebration, in recognition of her foot skills on the soccer field. 

The third-year Dean’s List student at Drury University was also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. 

She was also a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority and “was an incredible asset to the sisters of Kappa Delta and the greater Drury community,” according to Hope Russell, Drury’s Director of Greek Life and Student Activities.  

To borrow a few lines from her obituary, Mazurek was “never one to embrace negativity. Mazurek always looked for the positive side, and brought it out in everything she did while leaving a lasting impression on everyone she met. She was notorious among friends and family for her quick wit and sarcastic sense of humor. It's been said that there was no ‘sass’ without Taylor.” 

Perhaps one of the truest lines in that above paragraph is that she left a lasting impression on everyone she met. 

When I talked to some of the people in her life at Celebration, they all had wonderful memories to share with me about her. 

“Although I was deeply saddened by the news and was in the midst of an ever hectic school day, I had a peaceful smile reading her teammates’ memories and her friend’s messages on Facebook, as well as my own recollections of Taylor,” said Kuzma.

“You see, Taylor played with a pretty outgoing group of young ladies with some loud personalities. Taylor was the quiet girl from Maine, who came on to the field and just did what needed to be done.  Above all, she represented the class that we expect from the members of our Lady Storm soccer program.  With all the other personalities surrounding her, Taylor was, as I was reminded, the balancing factor or leveling factor on the team.  It didn't matter that she was the new girl, or quieter than the others, she was well liked and respected.”

“Taylor Mazurek was a pleasure to have in the classroom,” said Michael Meechin, who taught Mazurek at Celebration before accepting his current position of Assistant Principal at Poinciana High (Fla.). “Taylor worked hard every day and asked the best questions. She was so inquisitive about the world around her. As a transplant New Englander myself, Taylor [has] a special place in my heart as a teacher.”

Her obituary also noted that she was a “genuine and caring soul”, and that was backed-up by another one of her former coaches.

“With her boots laced up, Taylor was first and foremost a team player,” stated Sean Sweep, who also coached Taylor at Celebration before moving onto a current position in Minnesota. “She worked tirelessly on both the practice fields and the pitch to make herself and her teammates better. Additionally, she aided in making the players more than a team, into a close knit family who battled for each other on many cold nights. She showed passion for the sport, team, and her friends and will be dearly missed.”

“From the coaching perspective, Taylor was able to be aggressive on the field, without sacrificing class and respect for others and the game,” said Kuzma. “In our program, we often talk about why we play soccer, what we want out of [our] four years [of high school]. I share with the young ladies conversations with sales and management recruiters who are looking for bright young ladies who have been in competitive situations. Young ladies who are able to transition from a competitive environment to the diplomacy of a conference room table. Taylor embodied this as a high school student. I can not imagine how she continued to develop in the past few years.”

“Taylor played a few positions on the field for us because she was capable and willing. Her ability to go with the flow and do what was best with the team contributed to her coach-ability,” Kuzma added.

“[The] bottom line is that Taylor came to us half way through high school,” said Kuzma. “She did what she had to do on the field. She was well liked, I think, because she was able to connect with everyone.  You knew what you got with Taylor.  It truly was an honor to coach her and to know her.”

From her days in the Midcoast, she also left a lasting impression on her head coach at Georges Valley, Darryl Townsend, who noted Mazurek “was an exceptional young lady [and] was a great soccer player.” Townsend also stated that Mazurek “was very big and strong as a player and big and strong in heart.”

“Taylor also was a workhorse on the soccer field, which always resulted in her play making her team better,” Townsend continued. “My family and Taylor’s family have been close for many years. She will be missed by all of us. She above all was a wonderful young lady who always had the ability to put a smile on the people's faces she was involved with.”

Mazurek may be gone, but she surely has left a lasting personable, and athletic, legacy. 

Reach George Harvey and the sports department at: sports@penbaypilot.com.