When she was nine, Shannon Foley's family moved to California. There, Foley began playing soccer, a game she would play through many schools, club teams and national team pools (U-16 and U-19).
"It's actually a really funny story," Foley said. "I started when I was nine years old, my mom did it because we had just moved to the area and I didn't have any friends yet and I was starting school in the fall. She signed me up for the local soccer league."
While her mom may have been in favor of her new activity, other members of her family were not so enthusiastic.
"My dad did not want me to play soccer at all," Foley said. "He was very against it because we lived on a lake and he thought it would take away from us going out on the boat. But he's ended up being my biggest supporter for soccer. It's like his life now -- he comes to all my games."
In her first game at Virginia in 2003, Foley recorded an assist, a good indicator of what was to come. After starting in all 22 games last year and recording an assist in every game but one so far this year, Foley is dangerously close to breaking two assist records.
The first, for game-winning assists, Foley tied last Wednesday at James Madison with a pass to Kelly Quinn, who scored the game's only goal. The second, for total assists in a career, Foley sits tied for second place at 23 assists. The record currently stands at 30 assists. With a minimum 15 games remaining for the Cavaliers in 2005, it seems likely Foley will claim that record as well. If not, there's always next year (her senior season) to look forward to.
"She's very dangerous, very creative in her decisions on the field," Virginia coach Steve Swanson said. "We need her to do that. That's her role for us."
On a team whose main defense lies in its offense, creative moves on the field and an assist record closely in sight are not things to be taken lightly.
Just a few weeks ago, however, Foley's mind was anywhere but on soccer. For the first time since she started playing, Foley took more than two weeks off, and went to France.
"I was in Lyon with the [University's] French program," Foley said. "I took some time off and became a regular student this summer. I took advanced written and oral expression in French, art history, and I just kind of enjoyed the French culture."
Unlike sports like cross-country or swimming in which taking time off can erode vital endurance, taking time off from soccer actually may be beneficial.
"It really helped me physically and mentally," Foley said. "I really figured out how much everything meant to me, and it got me excited for the season again. For the first time, I was really able to get my body healed. I've had bruises and muscle strains for the past few years. So it was really good for me, just starting fresh."
This mental and physical fresh start seems to be helping Foley, as she has already tallied three assists in this young season.
"She's making better decisions on the field," Swanson said. "I think she's been doing a great job on the defensive side of things. I'm excited to see her progress."
That progress has certainly paid off for the team, and may pay off for Foley in the form of two records to her name.
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