Cavalier Corner

August 2022

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AUGUST 2022 27 M egan Reid's (Col '18) path to the Na- tional Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has been nothing less than inspirational. Growing up in Orinda, Calif., Reid was a standout player in basketball, water polo, track and field, and soccer. One of her first experiences in a team sport came when she was 8 years old, playing for the Lamor- inda FC. By her junior year of high school, she decided that she wanted to play soc- cer at the next level. As she started to tour colleges, the United States Air Force Acad- emy was tops on her list. However, when a classmate invited her to tour the University of Virginia, Reid agreed to go, using the trip as an opportunity to meet longtime wom- en's soccer head coach Steve Swanson. Swanson and his staff had not seen any of Reid's recruiting tapes, so they were truly meeting her for the first time. "Leaving that day, I felt they emphasized people first," Reid said, reflecting on that first conversation. "If you are not the right fit for the group, it does not matter what your soccer skills are." A year later, Reid was invited back for an official visit. This time, when she left, it was clear that Charlottesville was the place for her. "Everything about that experience felt so right," she recalled. When she arrived on Grounds, like many student-athletes, Reid hit the ground run- ning by enrolling in summer classes. Al- though it took time to adjust to the training schedule, once she began her fall classes, she was confident that she could make an impact on the program. That same year, the women's soccer team played in the 2014 NCAA championship game, where they ultimately fell 1-0 to Florida State. Despite the loss, she said that game — as well as scoring her first goal against Old Dominion — are her favorite memories. Unfortunately, during Reid's third year at UVA, her dad suddenly passed away. While she processed this loss, playing soccer did not excite her as it once did, and she con- sidered giving it up. "Soccer was something we did together," Reid recalled. "I lost the love for it." Understanding that she still had com- mitments to the team, she decided to continue her career. However, she was still lost and needed something to get her going again. Before her dad passed away, he asked her, "What do you want to do with your life after soccer?" When she responded that she wanted to join the military, her dad suggested she should consider becoming a firefighter because it matched the qualities of the career she was looking for — service, community and selflessness. Following her dad's advice, Reid volun- teered for a ride-along with the Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department on her 21st birthday and instantly fell in love with it. Throughout the remainder of her fourth year, she volunteered once a week while she continued to fulfill her academic and athletic obligations. "It was something that brought me back to life," she said. "I put myself in a commu- nity of like-minded people that helped me find a new path for myself." Following graduation, she completed her Firefighter 1 certification and EMT- Basic in Charlottesville before returning to California to find an entry-level firefighter position. While she searched for this first role, Reid decided to begin working toward her paramedic license (EMT-P). During this time, she was able to secure a field intern- ship at a fire station in Sonoma County. "Originally, they did not hire me because I didn't have my paramedic license, but they liked me, so they wanted to help me out," she said. The fire captain pushed to have her on the crew because she knew how to play soccer. "He told me, 'We play soccer,'" Reid said. "He would pull out the fire engines and ambulance, lay down two foam rollers, and play two on two." It was there that Reid discovered her love for soccer again. Around this time, a former teammate dared Reid to pick up soccer where she left off all those years ago. She joined her former club team, Lamorinda United, for a season and then trained in Denmark for a few months. When she returned to the United States, Swanson had some exciting news. He had secured her a spot on the discovery list for the San Diego Wave. Still unsure if she was ready to compete in the NWSL, Reid took some time to train with Swanson before trying out for the team. "I was trying to focus on getting the most out of my training, while Steve in- stilled the confidence in me that I could do this," Reid said. For a month, Reid trained with the San Diego Wave before the team released her. She called Swanson to give him the news and tell him that she would be leaving San Diego, but he insisted she give him 24 hours to make some calls. By the next morning, Reid received a call from Freya Coombe, head coach for Angel City FC, in- viting her to join the team for a few weeks during the NWSL preseason before decid- ing to keep her for training camps. Since the 2022 preseason training, Reid has been a member of the team. "There are certain things in life that have a shelf life, and seizing those moments is so important," Reid shared. "I decided to take my opportunity, making sure I wouldn't have any regrets in my life, and it has been the best choice I've ever made." — Jordan Bullock CONTINUED SUCCESS: WOMEN'S SOCCER DEFENDER MEGAN REID Now a member of Angel City FC in the National Women's Soccer League, Reid took a roundabout path to the ranks of professional soccer. After graduating from Virginia in 2018, she embarked on a career as a firefighter and was working toward her paramedic license in Sonoma County, Calif., before seizing the opportunity to return to soccer. (Photo courtesy UVA)

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