Nearing the end of the 2024-2025 school year, many senior athletes begin their final sports seasons. Senior soccer athletes, for example, such as Madison Shaw are taking these final moments in, while still remembering where it all began. Shaw is a four year member of the girls soccer program at Carterville High School, and has seen her fair share of both ups and downs.
“I have been playing since I was four years old, and it was the very first sport I tried out. My parents kept me in soccer because they said that even at that young age they could tell it was my favorite sport,” said Shaw.
Since then, Shaw has only grown in her love for the game. She is a core piece for the team, with teammate Lucy Gossett saying “she has a positive attitude towards the underclassmen on the soccer team and she put in the hard work to become the player she is today.”
Being a part of any extracurricular in high school shapes students into who they will become. It can be an escape from the sometimes stressful workload, and keeps time moving on. Shaw recalls her favorite memory being when ”our team scored against Waterloo last year or when we all got to go stop and eat after one of our far away games.”
As a leader for her team, she leaves any future players with this piece of advice. “Have fun and try not to let the little slip ups get to you. Instead, embrace the mistakes and use them as chances to learn. Don’t be afraid to take risks because it will eventually pay off!”
In the future, Shaw does not plan on continuing to play in college. “I was debating it back and forth but unfortunately I am not going to continue to play. As the year gets closer to an end I feel more bittersweet about that now, but I know it’s the right decision for me.”
Although she does not plan to play later on, success is already being achieved in her final go around. The team is 4-0 with their next game at Harrisburg on April 10. Shaw wants to look back on her years playing soccer here and recognize that it has helped her “take the edge off and provide a break from school and life. I also made so many friends and connections that wouldn’t have been possible without this team.
Anybody wanting to support the Lady Lions this season can find their schedule here.
