Jaedyn Shaw has realized her childhood dream. She can now call herself an Olympian.
She and 17 other women have been named to the U.S. Women’s National Team roster for the Paris Olympics.
Shaw, who grew up in Frisco and played for FC Dallas Youth and Solar said it’s not just her hard work, but also the sacrifices of her family that she credits for her success.
“They moved into a one-bedroom apartment when I was younger so that they could pay for me to play. In the moment, I didn’t think that it was that bad, but now looking back, that wasn’t normal and that’s something that I don’t take for granted. I think my family really drilled the work ethic into me. I was young and talented, but I also had to put in the work,” Shaw said.
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At just 17, she made her debut in the National Women’s Soccer League with the San Diego Wave, scoring in her first game. At 19, she recently became the first teenager to reach 10 goals in the NWSL regular season. Shaw has parlayed that success into making history with the U.S. Women’s National Team becoming the first player to score in their first five matches on the team.
“I wouldn’t change anything, but I would say it all pays off in the end. All the hard work and all the sacrifices, they all pay off,” Shaw said.
Paris Olympics
The front line will include Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC) and Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars) but for the first time since the Beijing Olympics in 2008, longtime forward Alex Morgan, was left off the roster.
“Making an Olympic roster is a huge privilege and an honor and there is no denying that it was an extremely competitive process among the players and that there were difficult choices, especially considering how hard everyone has worked over the past 10 months,” said new head coach Emma Hayes. “Choosing an 18-player roster plus alternates involved many considerations, but I am excited for the group we have selected and I’m looking forward to building on the work from last camp as we head into the Send-Off matches and then onto France. These are great opportunities for us to continue to show the progress we are making.”
The Paris Olympics will be the eighth to feature women’s soccer. The U.S. will open Group B play on July 25, one day before the Opening Ceremonies, against Zambia at Stade de Nice in Nice. The Americans will then play Germany on July 28 in Marseille and finish group play against Australia on July 31 also in Marseille.
The 18-woman roster includes eight players from the (2021) Tokyo Olympic team and nine first-time Olympians, including Shaw.
