Shannon Curtis '20 Recruiting Profile

Having the title of a goalkeeper is very special. A goalie, as I have learned, is one of the most important positions, filled with many adrenaline-producing experiences. In that position, you are the last line of defense; it all comes down to if you are willing to use the pressure as a motivator or you allow it to break you. A true goalie knows how to deal with pressure and the physical demand the position puts on one’s body. Personally, I became a goalie when I was in third grade. I was the typical slow, chubby, little kid. I have grown so much from the child who hated running to the athlete wanting to go to the gym, asking my coach what is next and what I can do to improve.  I now track my fitness and want to get a better PR than the time before. I do not crave the easy and simple; I crave the difficult and challenging.

When I was younger, I was classified in sixth grade with an IEP. I hated the stigma that came with being a classified kid in school. The teachers would treat you as if you were two years old. I realized I needed to show them I was better than that stigma. The fact I did not learn as quickly as everyone else would not set me back from learning.  I was better than this disorder. By the eighth grade, I was able to prove myself and was successfully declassified. I showed to all my teachers that I was capable of overcoming this disability and never used it as an excuse that would hold me back. I always pushed my limits as a “classified” student and was able to be in two honors classes freshman year. Unlike some of my other peers, I remained focused and succeeded that year so that I could then be placed in three honors classes for my sophomore year. I know now that once you think you have reached your limit, your limit pushes you so much further than you could ever imagine.