“I don’t feel like I’m done with soccer yet.”
Maggie Shaw, Chattanooga’s two-time Southern Conference Defender of the Year, is overseas for an opportunity to continue to play the sport she loves on a professional level while she puts her dreams of nursing on hold.
“I like being a nurse,” Shaw says. “I can be a nurse throughout my life, but once soccer is done, it’s done.”
Shaw headed to Prague Wednesday for a two-week trial with Slavia Praha of the UEFA Champions League.
“I’ll practice with them for two weeks. If they like me, then I’ll stay for the year,” she reports.
Shaw had a contract in hand but didn’t feel the location was the best for her.
“Location was a big factor,” Shaw says. “[Lithuania] sent me a contract and I was about to sign it when my agent texted me.”
Also a member of the Champions League, Shaw was offered a contract with Lithuania but felt the Prague opportunity might be better. After a back-and-forth by her agent with Upper V Athlete Management, which represented the team from Prague, she opted for the trial instead.
“[Prague] said they’d pay for my flight and accommodations if I’d try out, so I thought I should do that instead.”
Mocs head coach Gavin McKinney spent all five seasons as Shaw’s head coach. He sees this as a tremendous opportunity for the former team captain.
“She’s worked extremely hard and has a goal in mind,” he says. “She wants to be a professional soccer player – and it’s a great opportunity for her. We want our players to chase things like that and be ambitious.”
Shaw leaves the Scenic City as the most decorated Chattanooga soccer player in program history. She played and started more matches than anyone else in program history, and her trophy case is filled with a multitude of SoCon accolades.
Along with Defensive Player of the Year, Shaw was a three-time All-Conference First Team, three-time All-Tournament, named to the league’s All-Freshman team and earned Player of the Week honors.
“I wish the defense as a whole could get the [Defensive Player of the Year] award,” she says. “It takes more than one person to defend. I think that goes to show how good the back line was when I was playing.”
When Shaw arrived at UTC as a freshman with twin sister Samantha, the Mocs were last in the league and McKinney was just a few years into his tenure and building. Her career concluded with Chattanooga claiming its first-ever Southern Conference regular season title and second trip to the tournament semifinals.
However, Shaw says she’ll remember the friendships the most.
“I had the opportunity to work with a lot of different girls,” the Columbia, South Carolina, native says. “My sophomore year, I lifted with the juniors. They’re still my best friends. When I was a freshman, I was a part of the senior class, too. And I just went to Australia with three of my former teammates.
“I’m definitely thankful for UTC soccer because I have friendships that are going to last a lifetime.”
Source: UTC