October S’Hero | Shea Groom

RICHMOND, VA (October 19, 2016) – The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) today announced Shea Groom as the October S’Hero of the Month award recipient for individual and community leadership.  As part of Amazing Young Women^TM movement, the ECNL is sharing the stories of S’Heroes who are role models for our nation’s young female athletes who are balancing their drive to become elite athletes with the pressures of fitting in with social peers.

Shea Groom is a former NCAA All-American, Academic All-American, U23 Women’s National Team Member and was drafted 12^th overall in the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft by FC Kansas City, having just finished her second season as a professional soccer player.

Groom grew up in Liberty, Missouri playing for Kansas City Futbol Club, which merged with Blue Valley Soccer Club to become Sporting Blue Valley Soccer Club, current ECNL Member Club, in the spring of 2012.  Her youth soccer ventures were full of success with a long list of accomplishments.  Groom was crowned Gatorade Missouri High School Girls Soccer Player of the Year twice, Missouri Player of the year, named to the NSCAA High School Girls All-America Soccer Team, won several State Championships and along with being crowned a National Champion with her club team.

She went on to play soccer and study Recreation, Park and Tourism at Texas A&M University. As an Aggie, Groom was a three-time All-SEC performer as well as the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in her final season, notching 41 goals and 25 assists in her career, including 15 game-winning goals. During her time there she was also a member of the U20 US Women’s National team, earning a spot on with the U23s after graduating.

In 2015 Groom was drafted to FC Kansas City of the NWSL.  In her rookie year, she was named NWSL Player of the Week (Week 13) after recording a goal and two assists against the Boston Breakers.  Having to battle through several injuries, she finished the season with four goals in thirteen games played. Groom was named FC Kansas City’s Rookie of the Year, after helping the team win their second NWSL Championship in as many seasons.

In her second season with FC Kansas City, Groom made an extreme impact.  She was disciplined in the off-season with her mental and physical training, preparing to raise her game and secure her role on the team.  In fact she did just that, earning the Golden Boot Award for FC Kansas City after leading the team and finishing fifth in the league with eight goals in the season. Groom led the team with 48 shots and 25 shots on goal (both ranked 5^th in the league) in nineteen games played.  To top off her fantastic season, Groom earned her first call up to the US Women’s National Team for two matches against Switzerland.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to compete at this level.” Groom said about her first call up to the Full National Team, “It has taken years of hard work, thousands of practices and the support from a lot of amazing people that helped me get to this point. While I am overjoyed to have this opportunity, the work is not over.  My goals stretch much further than this single opportunity, but I am going to live in the moment and enjoy every second.”

Outside of soccer, Groom is involved in several off field initiatives that are close to her heart. This past September she partnered with the Kansas City Clothing Company and the Supporting Kids Foundation to help raise awareness and raise funds to support families in the Kansas City area who are battling childhood cancer. She has also been working with an app that helps girls connect with their dream schools, bringing them one step closer to the next chapter in their soccer careers. This is a project she is very passionate about, having been in their place before.  Groom believes in helping the next generation of female soccer players, with hopes that giving back will instill others to do the same.

Last fall she embarked on another first, picking up and relocating during the off-season to become an intern with the ECNL.  It was here that Groom helped enhance the Amazing Young Woman campaign through her artistic prowess and social media presence. She also posted weekly blogs entitled “Stoppage Time with Shea Groom”, documenting her time in Richmond, Virginia and the daily grind as a professional athlete in the off-season.

Shea is fearless and immersed in the movement of the women’s game, paving the way for others to have the opportunity to do the same.  She is a true believer in educating others and defining what it means to work hard and earn your way, especially for young women.  Shea’s drive to serve as an ambassador to the game and share her incredible story in becoming the player she is today, defines what it means to be an Amazing Young Woman.

Tune in to ESPN2 at 9 PM EST tonight to watch ECNL alum, Shea Groom, represent her country.

S’Hero Awards is part of the Amazing Young Women^TM campaign designed to showcase strong, successful women who embody the leadership ideals first learned and developed on the soccer fields of their youth.  Through the awards, the ECNL is sharing stories, unifying women of all ages, and celebrating today’s young women as they prepare to become tomorrow’s leaders.  The ECNL is calling on all who love sports to join them in supporting youth female athletes as they recognize their own potential, define their individual paths to success, and prepare to be our next generation of leaders.

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About Amazing Young Women^TM:  Launched by the ECNL, the Amazing Young Women is a dynamic platform of online and local market activations that showcase and celebrate female role models offering an aspirational focus for all female athletes and teens as they prepare to be our next generation of leaders.  The ECNL is calling on all of the nation’s women to join the movement to celebrate the endless potential of today’s girls.

Women of all ages can share their personal moments of inspiration through social media and at www.AmazingYoungWomen.com.  Every share and submission helps drive a movement that celebrates the power of what it is to be a girl today.

Amazing Young Women of the ECNL will be showcased at AmazingYoungWomen.com. Through testimonials, tips and tools, the website is providing all girls to view, share, and celebrate what it is to be motivated, strong, and successful.

About Elite Clubs National League:  The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States through: (i) improving the competitive environment through creation of a true national competitive league; (ii) improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players for college and youth national teams through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competitions; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at top female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs.  The ECNL is sanctioned by US Club Soccer and is sponsored by Nike Soccer.

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