Soccer star stresses perseverance, teamwork

Soccer great Shannon Boxx made an appeal to the female student-athletes at the 13th Annual Celebrating Women’s Athletics Luncheon.

“I want to challenge you to enjoy the journey – not just the end result,” Boxx said. “Enjoy the hard work, the sweat, and the ups and downs it takes to be successful. Be confident, strong, independent women.”

Boxx, a former member of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, was the keynote speaker at the Feb. 26 luncheon. Boxx won three Olympic gold medals and was a member of four World Cup teams that finished third or better before she retired in 2015.

Proceeds from the luncheon, which drew more than 725 people to the Events Center, support the Binghamton Bearcats Athletic Association Women’s Scholarship Fund. Other speakers included President Harvey Stenger, Director of Athletics Patrick Elliott and Binghamton University senior Emma Maslin, a member of the women’s soccer team.

“As an institution, Binghamton University is committed to helping female student athletes get opportunities for competition and personal growth,” Stenger said. “This is an important part of a process that also enriches the campus for all of our students. Athletes are dedicated members of our community, serving as volunteers and mentors in schools, and are active in causes important to them.”

Boxx’s journey to World Cup and Olympic glory began in Southern California, where she grew up with her mother and older sister Gillian.

“(My mother) put us in sports early to give us an outlet as well as to keep us busy and out of trouble,” Boxx recalled.

There were times when Boxx was the only girl on her teams.

“I learned early that if I wanted to play, I needed to prove myself,” she said.

Boxx gravitated toward soccer, while her sister excelled at softball. Gillian attended the University of California at Berkeley and earned an Olympic gold medal as a member of the 1996 U.S. softball team.

When it came time for Boxx to make her college choice to play soccer, she listened to her older sister’s advice: “Pick the school where you can be the most successful and happy off the field, not on the field.”

For Boxx, that school was Notre Dame. As a freshman in 1995, she helped the Fighting Irish win its first NCAA women’s soccer championship. The experience helped Boxx thrive at the professional and national levels, she said.

“I always try to share the lessons I learned from that national championship team,” she said. “Success comes when everyone plays their role to the best of their abilities and when the individual sacrifices success for the success of the team.”

Boxx did not have an easy transition to professional and national soccer, though. She failed to make the U.S. national team in 2001 and would not be invited to try out for a couple of seasons. In 2002, her playing time in the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) decreased and she was traded to the New York Power in the offseason.

“The little bit of confidence I had was gone and I found myself questioning my ability and desire to keep playing,” she said. “I look back now and say: ‘Wow! Can you imagine if I gave it all up then?’ The decision to keep playing was the turning point in my life. I used that offseason to renew my focus.”

Boxx’s confidence and improved fitness allowed her to not only make the All-WUSA squad as a defensive midfielder, but also get a second chance with Team USA. In 2003, Boxx became the first player named to a women’s World Cup team without first being a member of the national team.

She spent the next 12 years as part of Team USA and was a finalist for the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year.

“I wasn’t the fastest or the most technical or the flashiest,” she said. “I didn’t score a ton of goals. I didn’t have a lot of assists. What I did have was leadership – a presence on the field to play my role and lead by example. I was truly competitive and had a will to win. But most importantly, I had an understanding of the game. I knew where every player on the team should be. That knowledge of the game was my trademark and my edge.

“I used my strengths: defending, winning balls, dictating the pace of the game. … Above all else, I was a good teammate. I don’t think anyone questioned my commitment to the success of the team. That was important to me.”

Nobody questioned Boxx’s commitment when she was diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease that causes extreme fatigue and joint pain. Boxx felt the effects for seven years before the diagnosis in 2008. She went public with the news in 2012 and became active with the Lupus Foundation of America.

“The support I received from my family, coaches, teammates and even the fans was what propelled me to play for so long,” she said.

Boxx, whose husband Aaron Spearman is a Vestal High School graduate from Apalachin, urged the female athletes in attendance to follow the leadership of the U.S. women’s soccer and hockey teams and make their voices heard in all walks of life.

“Now is the time to inspire each other,” she said. “There is so much support building around gender equality and equal pay. … The path of opportunity continues to grow, but challenges still exist. It’s up to all of us to face those challenges head-on without fear or doubt.

“Make it your job to inspire the next generation and fight for the next generation. I want to see that my daughter has more opportunities than any of us.”