TFC Athlete Spotlight: Elasha "E" Farmer
Elasha “E” Farmer has played a crucial role in Toccoa Falls College Athletics, specifically women’s soccer, since her freshman year in 2018. After coming to campus for a tour, Farmer said that she fell in love with the community and knew right away that she wanted to pursue her academic and athletic goals at TFC. “It felt like home when I stepped on campus,” she said. Farmer loved the idea of a smaller school where she could cultivate her love of soccer while also playing a large role in the community.
Farmer is a Counseling and Psychology major with a double minor in Sports Management and Bible and Theology. Her goal is to be a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC) in addition to counseling teens and young adults who have experienced sexual abuse. She said that she felt called to this career path. She recognizes the heavy need in this field, especially in church communities.
Farmer was raised in Pensacola, FL, with highly successful athletic siblings. Growing up beside a soccer field, Farmer said she watched the kids playing and decided that she wanted to play soccer too. She said that soccer has taught her valuable lessons about sports, teamwork, and life. “If you work hard enough at something, you can do it. Your dreams can come true,” Farmer said.
As a captain on TFC’s women’s soccer team, Farmer explained that she has had to undertake a lot of work and responsibility. However, she said that it has given her the chance to have a voice and give advice to her teammates.
Unfortunately, the waters have been rocky for the women’s soccer team the past few years as they have struggled to keep a consistent coach. Originally, Farmer came to TFC under previous coach Kaelyn Jury in 2018, who ended up leaving at the end of the year to go overseas. Coach Shezti Heu was brought in temporarily in 2019, and he coached both the men’s and women’s soccer teams. As soon as the fall season was over, TFC alumnus Coach Austin Reed was brought in to take over the team for the 2020 season. It looked like Reed would remain the coach for a few more seasons, but Reed announced that he would be unable to stay just before the fall 2021 semester. Coach Tyler Standridge was brought in at the last minute to coach the team temporarily. Farmer explained that the constant change was difficult on the girls. As soon as they would get comfortable, it would change again. Unfortunately, it has stunted their individual and team growth and strained the team dynamics.
Farmer went on to discuss the difficulties of recruiting and maintaining players with a constantly changing program. She said the team is always questioning if they will bond with the new coach and how the environment will be affected. Additionally, it is hard as an individual player, because it takes time to build a relationship with the coach and understand what needs to be better.
The captain is hopeful that the women’s soccer team will get some consistency so the program can grow and benefit TFC. The girls want a coach that will build relationships with the team and pour into their lives. According to Farmer, it will solidify the team as a family and will bring in more recruits to strengthen the program.
She explained that Athletic Director Caleb Barnes has been actively searching for someone who will be a good fit and can commit to the team. He is looking for a coach who can make at least a three-year commitment and be able to pour into the team and develop relationships. There have been a lot of interviews, according to Farmer, but no decisions have been made as of yet.