Injury Creates Opportunity
Injuries can be devastating for a young athlete, but they can also open doors to possibilities you didn’t know existed. That’s what Amy Cawley discovered in her freshman year of high school.
Now a senior at Midland University, Cawley thought her path to a college scholarship would be through her efforts on the soccer field. But after an injury ended those hopes, she took aim at another sport that would eventually land her at Midland.
“I was a soccer player when I was young and wasn’t too interested in shotgun sports. My brother was involved in it, and my dad was instrumental in starting the program at my high school. I got hurt that fall, and the shotgun season started that following spring, so I thought I would give it a try.”
It wasn’t an easy road to success as a childhood eye injury initially limited her ability. But once she got things sorted out, she has been on target ever since.
She has aided in Midland becoming one of the country’s most successful shotgun sports programs. During the 2023-24 season, she was named to the ACUI All-American Women’s squad.
Amy began conversations with Midland coach Jake McThenia during her senior year of high school. However, leaving Webster, New York, and going halfway across the country wasn’t high on her radar.
“Nebraska was a long way from home, so I wasn’t really thinking about Midland as an option. I was working with a recruiting site, and Coach McThenia kept coming back into the picture, and people spoke very highly of him and the Midland program. Shooting can be an expensive sport, and Midland was going to cover some of those costs, as well as give me a scholarship. At that point, visiting here was a no-brainer.”
She visited a handful of other colleges in the area, but something about Midland felt right. “Midland stood out to me as the place I felt most comfortable. I got a chance to meet with Dr. Nick Schreck (Dean for Dunklau School of Business), and he talked to me about Digital Marketing and how I could reach both my personal and professional goals.”
Amy already knew a little something about Digital Marketing and social media before she arrived at Midland. As a sophomore in high school, she started a blog called “Her Shooting Journey” that detailed her life as a shotgun sports athlete. That blog has now reached nearly 7,000 followers across YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
“Shotgun sports is a fairly male-dominated sport, so I started this blog as a way to hopefully encourage other young girls to maybe give it a try. Once I started having a larger social media presence, it really opened my eyes to the world of collegiate shooting.”
It also opened her eyes to the world of Name Image Likeness sponsorships amongst collegiate athletes. “Through my own personal experience, I’ve been able to learn how to market myself and pitch my own personal brand to acquire some partners.”
Her skills have allowed her to handle social media marketing for several local businesses, and she currently has an internship with Løv Bridal Sartorial in Fremont.
While social media is well within her wheelhouse for a future career, she’s not certain that’s the path she will choose. “I feel most safe running social media accounts because that’s what I’m used to. But I don’t necessarily want to be locked into that, and I want to push myself further. I’ve been working on networking with different professionals within the marketing industry and trying to get a feel for all the other specialties you can have within marketing.”
Aside from the shotgun sports team, Amy has also been active as a Resident Advisor for the past three years. “It’s been a great experience. I spend so much time with my sport, so it’s been great to be able to meet other people. I’ve become very close with residents and other team members over the years.”
Her four years at Midland have allowed her to grow as an athlete and student, as well as on a personal level. “I came to Midland as a shy, introverted person, and I’m leaving here with the skills to make my way, even if I don’t know everything. I have the skills to ask questions and feel confident doing so.”
Amy Cawley is a senior Digital Marketing & Communications Studies major from Webster, New York.
