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11/14/2017 11:00 PMSha Jameson has never used her height as a reason why she couldn’t achieve something. Instead, Sha, who’s 3-foot-10, uses her stature as a source of motivation to constantly work hard. All of her heart and hustle recently resulted in Sha recording a nice milestone as a member of the Guilford field hockey program.
“As a little person, I have to work harder to achieve the same things of others, so the work ethic just comes naturally,” says Sha. “To have the opportunity to do things simply motivates me.”
Sha is a sophomore who recently completed her season with the Indians’ JV field hockey team. She started with the sport by playing for Adams Middle School in 7th and 8th grade. Sha then became a defensive sweeper for Guilford’s freshman squad last fall and continued playing that position until switching to forward midway through the 2017 campaign. Sha recently capped off her sophomore season with the Indians in grand style by scoring her first career goal.
“For me, I treasure the friendships I have from field hockey. I also like the exercise of it, because school can be stressful, and it’s a good way to release it,” says Sha. “About three of four games into this year, I went to forward, and one of my goals was to score by the end of this year. I just had a feeling I would do it that day. It was a cold, rainy day, but someone assisted to me, and it was on point with perfect positioning. Everyone was really happy about it. They were screaming, and it was a moment to remember.”
Sha knew that moving to forward would ramp things up by making her churn her wheels even more on the field. However, Sha had nothing but the utmost confidence in her abilities, and she was ready for the challenge.
“Being on defense, you usually don’t see much action, but one game, my coach decided to put me at forward, and I really liked it,” Sha says. “I did have some hesitation, though, because there’s more running involved with forward, and it was challenging being a little person with that.”
Guilford field hockey Head Coach Kitty Palmer praises Sha for being a relentless worker who brings a great attitude to the field.
“She works so hard to be helpful to the team, regardless of how much faster her feet have to work to keep up,” says Palmer. “She never complains, and never asks to do less. We are so proud of her.”
Of course, Sha would love to secure a spot in Guilford’s varsity lineup during the next two seasons. However, no matter what comes her way, Sha is prepared to face it head-on by continuing to display her trademark fortitude.
“I don’t have many set goals for myself, but I just want to make varsity,” says Sha. “It’s just about me challenging myself and pushing myself forward.”