A Short Doc by Grace Makarewicz

A slice-of-life documentary exploring the mental health journeys of four college soccer players, highlighting the unique challenges and shared experiences of young women navigating the intense culture of collegiate athletics!

SYNOPSIS

Offside! Aims to shed light on the often-overlooked high-performance athletes. Through the stories of our 4 college athletes, we explore their internal struggles with self-doubts, the pressure to succeed, and the emotional toll of injuries. We examine how these battles affect their performance on the field and how they persist in their daily lives. 

Check out our socials!

Ruben Palacios Coca 
Hey my name is Ruben I’m the producer of Offside! Growing up playing sports, I was excited to see Grace’s commentary and vision. The film showcases valuable perspectives from college athletes, and our talented crew captured those moments wonderfully! Cant wait for you to see it!⚽️

Olivia Melnick
Hi, my name is Olivia and I am the director of photography for Offside! Working on this set has helped me learn about the extreme mental and physical struggles that collegiate athletes face, and the importance of high quality, accessible resources. I am excited to be a part of a project that aims to make change in the systems that have failed far too many student athletes, and hope that the production of this documentary can be a positive strive for change.

Jaime Beaton
Hey my name is Jaime, I’m the editor for Offside! I’ve had such a great time over the last few weeks working with Grace to achieve our final edit. I’m passionate about the films message and so excited for you to see it!

Jon Callies
Hi my name is Jon, I was 1st AC on Offside! I wanted to work on this project when Grace told me about it. As someone who played soccer as a kid, I was excited to work on a film that explored teamwork and the mental and physical challenges of sport.​

Juan Carrillo
Hey there! My name is Juan, and am the Assistant Sound editor/recorder for Offside. I was enthralled with a documentary about my dear futbol, and I literally begged our director to let me join because I just love the sport that much. I think I can channel this passion into something positive for the crew and for the audiences out there that may also Love this beautiful game.​

Arwen Mercado 
Hey everyone! I am the Transmedia producer of OFFSIDE! Working to promote this project has been such a great opportunity for me. This project serves to bring light to overlooked struggles. Regardless of not being a college athlete, the message of this doc brings me a lot of comfort and reassurance, and I'm proud to be a part of it :)

Manuela Garcia

Manuela raises awareness to the importance of a positive attitude and loving yourself into change.

Manuela started playing for her college team in 2022 and has since then been an Integral part of the teams success. Her talent and speed in the midfield helped the team earn a bronze medal in this past season, and she plans on coming backing even stronger next season.

Kiana Martin

Through Offside!, Kiana discusses her ACL injury and its effects on her mental health.​

Kiana grew up loving the sport. She worked hard in highschool to ensure her spot oh the Sheridan Wsoc squad. After finishing her four year photography degree, and dedicating her time to the teams success, she decided her career was not over yet, and came back for her fifth and final season. In her third game that season, she had a terrible fall, resulting in a torn ACL, one of the worst injuries a soccer player can experience. It was the end to Kiana’s college career, but as she is recovering she hopes to one day return to the field.

Celina Barnard 

Celina speaks about her experience as a leader and co-captain of her college team, and the pressures and expectations that entailed.

After playing three seasons on her college team, and proving herself as an essential part of the team’s success, Celina was awarded the role of co-captain. After a hard and thankless season, Celina decided that she needed a break from the sport due to burnout and loss of love for the sport. She believes that college athletes should have more access to specialized mental health care and sports psychologists to ensure that everyone can get the support they need to succeed.

Jessica Jagdeo

Celina Palombella