Part of a Family Tradition

Anna Kate Shaw

By Susan Harmon

Anna Kate Shaw has been fortunate to grow up in a unique athletics-minded household. Her parents, Lee and Dawn, were always involved in athletics and raised their children in the same manner. Shaw followed in her family’s footsteps, but made her own path at Georgia Southwestern by joining the Lady ‘Canes tennis team.

“When I went to try out for the team at GSW, I fell in love with the team and the coach,” recalled Shaw. “It was the bond and Coach Sewell that helped me realize this is where I needed to be.”

It’s obvious that Shaw’s family has played an important role in her views towards athletics. Her two brothers, in addition to her parents, were on sports teams. Jaybo, who played quarterback for Georgia Tech and then finished his career at Georgia Southern University, now works as the offensive quality control coach for Army football. Connor, her other brother, was the all-time winningest quarterback for the University of South Carolina and was recently picked up by the Cleveland Browns.

Shaw always wanted to be in sports like her brothers. “Ever since I was little I have been following them around going to basketball, baseball, and football games. There is no telling how many games I have been to, but that’s all I can remember growing up: wanting to play with them and following in their footsteps,” she stated.

Shaw recalled a childhood picture of Connor putting football flag straps around her waist while she held the ball. “I just had the biggest smile on my face because I was getting to play with them,” she said.

Like her brothers, during high school, Shaw, played basketball but eventually decided it wasn’t for her. “I played because my whole family did. I wanted to be just like my brothers, so of course I wanted to play basketball. Eventually I played so much that I got tired of it.”

Shaw’s parents introduced tennis when she was younger as another sport to keep in the family. “I fell in love with tennis, and just knew that it was what I wanted to do,” Shaw recalled. In her high school tennis career, Shaw competed in state three years and was first team all-region her sophomore and junior year.

Yet there’s no denying that football is a dominant part of her family. “Everything revolves around football [at home], but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said. However, “tennis is my escape from everything, whether it’s from football talk or school; it just takes my mind off of everything.”

With Lee and Jaybo coaching, Shaw can see things from the perspective of the coach and the player. When her playing days come to an end, Shaw would like to continue the coaching trend in her family and become a tennis coach. “I already teach some tennis lessons in the summer and I help out with camps,” she said.

Through it all, Shaw knows her family is in her corner. “My brothers are so supportive and protective over me,” said Shaw. “And I don’t know what I would do without my parents. They were able to come to the majority of my matches this year.”

As a freshman, Shaw has already become a successful member of the GSW women’s tennis team.