By Scott Metz

Home School sophomore Ava Shaw is a dedicated soccer player for the Northeast Oklahoma Association of Homeschools (NOAH) Jaguars. Ava does online school through Epic Charter Schools.

In regards to the positions she plays for soccer, Ava stated, “For NOAH, I usually play right wing. I will sometimes play center forward, left wing or in the midfield. It is typically where my coach thinks we can find the most success in the attack.”

“Playing for the NOAH Jaguars homeschool team is probably different from playing for a high school team. A lot of schools underestimate us. We don’t get a lot of recognition because we are not a part of the OSSAA so we are motivated to go out and prove ourselves in each game we play.”

Ava has a great deal of respect for her coach. Ava proclaimed, “I think it is important to mention my coach Dean Johnson. He is a volunteer coach, and is always dedicated to the team. We only practice two days a week where most coaches have their athletes 5 days a week starting in August. He shows up each week with a practice plan and shows up for games with a game plan. He watches our film and send clips for us to watch to help us get better. After games, our practices are usually focused on areas where he finds we can improve.”

Asked what motivates her, Ava stated, “I love soccer and have been raised to have high expectations for myself during practice and games. I want to play at the collegiate level and I know that in order to achieve that goal, I need to get better every day. I enjoy working hard, I am very competitive and I like to win!”

In terms of a favorite memory for Ava during her soccer career thus far, Ava explained, “Honestly, I think having the opportunity to get to play high school soccer for NOAH. With me going to Epic and doing online school, I was not sure if I would get the opportunity to play. It’s been great meeting new teammates and making new friends.”

In addition to playing for NOAH, Ava currently plays club soccer for OK Energy FC ECNL in Oklahoma City.