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Shannon Boxx is a "Cinderella Superstar" of the United States Women's National Soccer Team. In 2003, although she purchased tickets as a spectator to the Women's World Cup in southern California, Coach April Heinrichs invited her to play with the team, making Shannon the first uncapped player ever to be named to a Women's World Cup Team. She then became the first woman to score three goals in her first three matches with the national team. In the first year of her national career, Shannon made quite a splash in the international soccer world. She started five matches in the 2003 Women's World Cup, and in the United States' victory over Canada in the 3rdplace match she was named the player of the match. In 2004, she started in 31 of the 32 matches she played for the national team, including every match of the 2004 Olympics, where she and her team earned the gold medal. Shannon scored a hat trick against Trinidad and Tobago in an Olympic qualifying match and came in 7th for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award. In 2005, Shannon started every single national team match and came in 3rd place for the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year Award. The following year, she started all three games at the Four Nations Tournament in China, where her team won the title. Before an injury kept her off the field for the rest of 2006 and part of 2007, Shannon was named the Algarve Cup MVP for the second time. She recovered quickly and returned to help the United States' squad reach the semifinal match of the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Shannon earned her 100th cap in the quarterfinal match against Canada and helped propel her team to a second consecutive gold medal. After playing for the W-League and the German Women's Bundesliga, Shannon was drafted 19th overall in the Women's United Soccer Association entry draft by the San Diego Spirit. She made the All-WUSA team in 2001 and 2003. The WUSA league commissioner called Shannon "the best in our league" at her position. At the University of Notre Dame, where she shares the school record for most games played, Shannon made the All-Big East team for three years and helped her team win its first NCAA Championship. In 1995, she was named to the Soccer America All-Freshman Team. She earned a Big East Scholar-Athlete Award her senior year, graduating with degrees in both psychology and African-American studies. At South Torrance High School, Shannon was just as ambitious as she is today, playing four sports. In her senior year of high school, she was named the Ocean League Scholar Athlete and her school's female athlete of the year. Shannon's greatest role model is her mother because of the strength, sacrifice and support she provided to both Shannon and her older sister Gillian as a single mother. Her work ethic and commitment to excellence serve as a constant tribute to her mom. Like most sisters Shannon and Gillian are extremely close, but unlike most, these two sisters share a very unique and rare bond that few can ever match. Shannon and Gillian are both Olympic Gold Medalists. Gillian won her gold medal as the catcher for the U.S. Women's National Softball Team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
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