by Nancy Diaz
Shannon Simon, a 17-year-old Redondo Union High School senior, is a 4.0 student who has excelled at soccer as a midfielder ever since she joined AYSO at the age of four.
“Shannon grew up on the field. She was a newborn when I had to take her to [sister] Jacqui’s soccer games and she just watched her sister play,” her mother Josie Simon said, describing her daughter’s first moments on a soccer field.
“When she started she was fast and tenacious, she wouldn’t give up. She just dribbled around and was just a ball full of energy. All of the boys liked to play with her too,” Josie added.
After playing in AYSO for two years, Shannon joined Force Soccer Club at the age of seven. When she transitioned from AYSO to club she realized that soccer was her passion.
“The important thing about playing sports is to enjoy the game that you are playing, and have a passion for it. Shannon has the passion for soccer – she has the ability to come through in the clutch for the team,” said Robert Simon, Shannon’s father.
Simon, who was named Bay’s League Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 and All-Area 1st team by the Daily Breeze, has also earned All-CIF honors two years in a row. During spring of her sophomore year, Simon committed to the University of Washington for the fall of 2014 after being offered a soccer scholarship. She currently plays for Beach FC, RedondoUnionHigh School and was also part of the Olympic Development Program since she was 10.
After coming back home from the 2013 US Youth Soccer Farwest Regional Championship in Hawaii – where she scored four goals and helped her team to the semi-finals – Simon has dedicated herself to training. She trains at Velocity, a training program for student athletes, to improve her agility, speed and quickness.
Acknowledging her sister Jacqui as one of her best coaches, Shannon also credits three coaches who have helped her along the way to become the talented player she is today.
“When I was younger I had a coach by the name of Mark Carr, he taught me the physical side and the heart for it,” she said. “Shelly Marsden taught me technical and finishing skills and she is the main reason I am able to be so comfortable with the ball. Mauricio Ingrassia has taught me everything else. He refined my skills and helped me to grow into the player I am today.
“One quote that kind of sticks with me was from my coach Mark Carr. He told me ‘Enjoy the challenge.’ Whenever I get challenged I always embrace it, instead of being frustrated by it.”
One of her favorite memories as an athlete was the day she scored a winning goal with her club team, Beach FC.
“I remember playing in the finals against Slammers, a year ago, with Beach FC. Our team was kind of new,” she said. “I wasn’t playing the best I could throughout the whole game. I remember we were tied 0-0 all the way until the end. We got to overtime and coach Mauricio came up to me and told me a story about Michael Jordan – how sometimes he missed a lot of shots, but he was always the one at the end coming out with the final game changer and winning shot. I remember in the second overtime of the game, I was able to get a shot, it went in the goal and we won the championship. I was so happy.”
Her dedication and competitiveness pushes her to strive for the best. Simon credits much of her success to the unconditional support her parents have given her, the fuel for her motivation. She thanks her parents for always pushing her to do her best and teaching her to make the right choices.
Her sister, Jacqui, who has been her role model and inspiration since day one, recalls a very unique moment in their childhood.
“When we were little we would play around the house with mini-soccer balls and broke a lot of photo frames,” she said. “I would always try to keep the ball away from her and I always knew that one day she was going to take it from me and she did. She is now strong enough to do so. It is really cool watching her grow up and see her become the soccer player she is now.”
Simon is enjoying her life day by day and is aiming for nothing but success. As summer vacation comes to an end Shannon Simon awaits with excitement for her senior year to start. Simon is looking forward to all of the senior activities to begin, meeting her school’s new teammates, and finally going off to college.
“Getting into college with soccer was amazing,” she said. “I visited the college and everyone was very welcoming. The coach stays in contact with me and checks up on me. The campus is nice, I liked the players, and I fell in love with the school. When I was there it just felt right. I was comfortable and I liked the good vibes.” ER
