Courtney Shaw of Perry Hall Girls Basketball Named US Army Impact Player of the Month

Courtney Shaw, who plays basketball for Perry Hall High School in Baltimore County, is the U.S. Army Impact Player of the Month!

Shaw, a senior guard, was nominated for the award by Linda Caccavalla, the head coach for Perry Hall's girls' basketball team.

"Currently Courtney takes six AP classes and is on honor roll at Perry Hall. She is a member of AVID leading workshops for the underclassmen at Perry Hall," Caccavalla wrote in her nomination. "She is a four-year athlete in basketball and volleyball, as well as a two-year captain."

Shaw was presented with her award in front of a crowd of her teammates, friends and family prior to the Gators' 91-38 victory against Dundalk Feb. 14. Numerous members of the Baltimore Recruiting Battalion attended the celebration, including Maj. John Groefsema, who presented Shaw with her award.

It was a special day for Shaw, as it was also Perry Hall's senior night. For Shaw though, winning an award associated with the US Army made it that much more special of an experience.

"My dad was a marine, as was my grandfather, so it's pretty cool to win an award that the military is involved with," Shaw said. "My dad used to coach me, and he was a marine styled coach. Very disciplined and emphasizing teamwork, which has definitely impacted me as a player."

Those early lessons have helped turn Shaw into a star on the basketball court- Shaw has eclipsed the 1,000 points scored mark for her high school career.

Shaw's best performance of her career happened this season against Lansdowne Jan. 26 when she scored 37 points in Perry Hall's 64-40 victory. Her effort set a new program record for most points scored in a single game.

"We were coming off a frustrating loss, which definitely made our whole team more focused. From the jump ball, I just took the ball and didn't stop until they were able to stop me," Shaw said. "I scored six points in the first minute, so I got off to a hot start and my teammates just kept finding me. When I got close to breaking the record they kept passing to me which was great because it made the record a total team effort."

For Shaw, working with a group towards a common goal is one of best parts of playing basketball.

"Everyone loves to put the ball in the hoop, and that's definitely exciting, but the team aspect of the sport is amazing," Shaw said. "Getting to know your teammates and creating a family with them is really fulfilling because then when you get on the court, you play for them. It's a lot of fun to play with people you love."

Shaw has also thrived in the classroom. She currently holds a 3.88 GPA.

A key for Shaw's success in the classroom is approaching it with the similar mentality as she has basketball. Shaw has worked hard at managing her time to ensure that both of her passions get the attention they need.

"I've always enjoyed athletics, but I'm academically driven. My parents and older sister set that standard," Shaw said. "When I got to high school and took more difficult classes, while balancing it with playing sports it opened my eyes because I realized my grades would be reflective of how hard I worked, just like with basketball."

Shaw's hard work has paid off- on Nov. 8 she signed to play basketball at Northwestern University on scholarship. She plans to study bioengineering in college.

"Bioengineering is interesting because I want to help the human body heal and perform better, but I also want to create things," Shaw said. "I want to make something new and apply it to biological needs. It's a broad field so I can go in a few different directions with it, which I'm excited to figure out."

Though Shaw has clearly excelled in many areas at Perry Hall, her many triumphs won't be what Caccavalla remembers her most for. For Caccavalla, it's Shaw's character that truly makes her stand out.

"In college recruiting they say prospect, project or suspect in regards to a recruited athlete. Courtney is a true prospect, checking off all the boxes that a coach would want in a student athlete," Caccavalla said. "At the same time, she is a 17-year-old young woman who carries herself with pride, kindness, and intelligence. I'm one lucky coach to be able to work with Courtney."

Click here to watch Courtney receive her award!

The Impact Player of the Month Award is given to an individual who has impacted their team in a positive way, both on and off the field. Nominations will be accepted from any high school that reports scores to CSZ year-round, and can be submitted by parents, coaches, teachers or fellow students. To nominated a student-athlete, contact Wick Eisenberg at weisenberg@countysportszone.com with a message featuring a subject line of "US Army Impact Player Nomination." Each honoree will receive a custom trophy from Crown Trophy and the opportunity for a videotaped award presentation at their school with a member of the U.S. Army.

Congratulations to Courtney!