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March 8, 2023
The Jackson Herald
Sports
www.mainstreetnewssports.com
Phone: (706) 367-5233
Fax:(706)387-5417
sports@mainstreetnews. com
Section B
Faith brings JCHS’s Shea Zwemke through two back to back
injuries
Submitted photo.
Shea Zwemke heads a ball during a soccer game.
By Taylor Hearn
taytor@mainstreetnews. com
Like most. Shea Zwemke
began her soccer career at
the recreation league level.
Zwemke explained that soc
cer was “her thing” and she
wanted to play it despite not
growing up in a household
where soccer was a popular
sport.
“It is kind of funny actu
ally because my mom was a
multi-sport athlete growing
up and the only sport she
did not participate in was
soccer,” Zwemke said.
Growing up, Zwemke
played on many different
club league soccer teams,
including Freedom, Alli
ance and GSA. “One of the
side refs at one of my recre
ation league games invited
me to be on a club soccer
team and that is how I got
introduced to club ball,”
Zwemke said.
Zwemke had quite the
trying soccer career grow
ing up. “In sixth grade I
only made the last day of
tryouts due to being sick,
so I was only an alternate.
During my seventh grade, I
made the team and ended up
obtaining a mild concussion
and in my eighth grade year
I fractured one of my an
kles,” Zwemke explained.
Not only was Zwemke’s
middle school career full of
ups and downs with inju
ries, so was her high school
career. During Zwemke’s
sophomore and junior year
she endured two back to
back ACL injuries.
“During my first year
back playing soccer my
sophomore year I finally got
the chance to play my first
game and it was my time to
impress the coaches. This
was the first game I got to
start. It was only about ten
minutes into the game and
I went to cut on defense,
which was my typical po
sition and it tore. I was not
very educated on the injury
at the time and just thought
it would be like one of my
typical ankle injuries,”
Zwemke described.
Next season, Zwemke
was cleared just in time to
return for her junior year.
“During my junior year it
was my left leg and when
it happened, I knew exactly
what had happened because
I had that same feeling. It
was really heartbreaking for
me. My trainer pretty much
told me that when you tear
one, you will probably tear
the other one. This time was
worse because there was a
horizontal and vertical tear
in my meniscus and a frac
ture to my ACL. Luckily
only my ACL needed sur
gery,” Zwemke said.
Zwemke explained that
“faith” brought her through
both injuries she endured.
“The first time it happened.
I was really frustrated and I
will admit that my lack of
faith was definitely there
the first time and I believe
that is why it took me 11
months to recover. It was
really slow and happened
during a busy time and I
was not very attentive to
physical therapy,” Zwemke
said.
Zwemke’s second ACL
injury was a breeze com
pared to her first injury.
“I got an all clear at seven
months my second time
around. I think the big
gest thing between the first
time and the second time
was my faith. The second
time, I knew I just had to
give it to the lord. After all
the prayers, God gave it
to me and I got one more
chance to play,” Zwemke
explained.
Head Coach of the Lady
Panthers, Matthew Mai-
er explained that Zwemke
was an important part of the
team.
When asked what it meant
to be a leader for Zwemke,
she explained with, “You
have a lot of underclassmen
looking up to you. I believe
you just have to set a real
ly good example. They will
take after what you do and
what you do not do. The
biggest thing I try to do is
always remain positive. I
am also the chaplain for the
team and I pray before ev
ery game . It is great to be
able to have that bond with
my team and see that girls
look up to that.”
Zwemke mentioned
that she had many differ
ent great coaches over the
years, but two in particular
stood out to her.
“Coach Jeremy and
Coach Maier rebuilt my
confidence and saw a lot of
potential in me,” Zwemke
said.
Zwemke’s career was
filled with wonderful ac
complishments and many
different highs and lows,
but one moment stood out
as being her proudest. “Last
year my team and I made
it to the elite eight and that
was probably the farthest I
have gone,” Zwemke said.
Zwemke gave a special
shoutout to her parents for
being her number one fans
throughout her soccer ca
reer.
“My parents are my num
ber one fans. They come to
every single game and try
to make it to all the away
games if possible. They
took care of me when I
was injured and paid a lot
of money for injuries and
soccer fees. They just really
kept me going. They always
tried to make me a better
player and they are just the
best.” Zwemke expressed.
Zwemke’s plans after
graduating from Jackson
County High School are
to attend the University of
North Georgia and obtain a
business degree.
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