Student athlete of the week: Soccer's Shannon O'Mally

Shannon O'Malley waltzes into the soccer locker room with her red hair streaming behind her and a giant grin on her face. "Hey everyone," she exclaims, "how were your days?" Amid the responses from her teammates, Shannon manages to dress for practice and make sure everyone else is doing well. Known by her teammates and friends for her positive outlook and caring attitude, Shannon is both a leader and a friend to all who know her. She is also the co-captain of the women's varsity soccer team.

Shannon started playing soccer when she was only two years old. As the only child of a soccer-playing father, she learned to kick a ball almost as soon as she learned to walk. She played as a center midfielder on an all-boys team until she was eight years old. She joined a girls travel team the next year, and when the goalie got hurt, she stepped in for a temporary position change.

Twelve years later Shannon is still playing in the goal. After performing well in her cameo appearance, she began to play goalie on her select and state teams. She continued to play as a center halfback for her high school teams, but since coming to Hopkins, she has devoted herself solely to the goalie position. She has clearly found a position that suits her, as teammate Lindsay Vodoklys recently exclaimed, "Shannon does things with the ball that I never thought were possible."

After being recruited by several Division I schools, Shannon chose to attend Johns Hopkins for both the soccer and the academics. Shannon saw significant playing time as a freshman and has been the starting keeper for the last two years.

She was voted captain at the end of her sophomore season, a tribute to her leadership and quality playing skills. Teammate Aline Bernard says, "Shannon is an excellent player and leader, but she is also someone you can talk to at any time. She is always willing to listen and help, no matter how busy she is."

While the women's soccer team has had several disappointments this season, Shannon remains positive about the outlook for the rest of the year. The team lost two conference matches, to Muhlenberg and Gettysburg, and tied conference opponent Dickinson 0-0. However, due to the new Centennial Conference policies, the team still has a chance at winning the conference title. In previous years, the champion was decided based on regular season play.

This year, the top four teams at the end of the regular season play in a single elimination tournament to determine the conference champion. As such, Johns Hopkins only has to finish in the top four to gain a bid to the tournament. Shannon is confident that the team will make it to the tournament and avenge their losses.

Shannon credits the strong defense with the team's success this year. The team has played several tough opponents, including the number one ranked College of New Jersey. She feels that the team has typically been slow in the first half of games and has "had a little trouble putting the ball in the net." With some formation adjustments and a renewed team spirit, Shannon is confident that the rest of the season will be successful.

In addition to soccer, Shannon is also involved in several other activities at Johns Hopkins. As a pre-med psychology major, Shannon balances varsity soccer with mentoring, overseeing the intramural sports program and maintaining a GPA above 3.3. During the spring, Shannon mentors an inner city youth once a week.

She cites teaching him to read as one of her most memorable experiences at Hopkins. She is also the head supervisor of intramural sports. Her responsibilities include scheduling games, organizing referees and dealing with feuding fraternity guys during heated games of intramural basketball.

Shannon has also had significant experience in medical settings. As an intern at Franklin General Hospital on Long Island this summer, Shannon shadowed several physicians and particularly enjoyed watching heart surgeries. Despite her interest in surgery, Shannon wants to return to Long Island, N.Y. for medical school and specialize in pediatrics. She hopes to eventually start her own pediatrics practice and coach soccer in her free time.

Shannon also places a strong emphasis on her family. Her parents and two golden retriever puppies make the long trek from Long Island to nearly every game. Shannon's father can frequently be heard hollering at the referees or encouraging the team.

Shannon O'Malley is a key factor in the womens soccer team's success this season. She is a leader on and off the field. Fellow junior Lauren Hanlon says, "There is one thing that is very important for a goalkeeper to possess: trust in her teammates. Shannon has a lot of confidence in us, and we trust her completely." With praise like that, there is not doubt that Shannon will continue to find success in whatever she chooses to pursue.