In December, JCCC’s very own Maya Wallace respectively earned the United Soccer Coaches NJCAA Division II National Player of the Year Award, making herself the first women’s soccer player in the history of her conference (JCCC and KJCCC) to earn the award. What did it take to achieve this outstanding feat, and what can we expect to see from #2 in the future? 

“You’re not going to want to put in the work [for] something you don’t like,” Wallace said when asked what she credits her performance to. For her, it’s all about the love of the game, but what else does it take to perform at her level? 

“My coaches let me do what I wanted, but also pushed me to make me a better player,” she added. 

Wallace’s competitive spirit has also been a driving force for her on the field. 

“I wanted to win our conference. There was a girl ahead of me, [and] just seeing her numbers go up made my numbers go up and have a great season,” she said.

Wallace’s incredible career at JCCC is one of many examples of our school’s impact on student athletes and what it does for them. 

“My highschool season was rough, but then I came here and I had a whole different perspective on everything,” Wallace said. “I hope that other people [coming in] can feel like that.”

Throughout all the joy, tears, and triumph, there is one person who Wallace will have at her side no matter what.

“There’s nothing more special than having your daughter decide on her own that she wants to follow her mother’s footsteps,” Sarah Wallace, Maya’s mother, and JCCC Women’s Soccer alumni said. “For her to have the year that she’s had under the coach that coached me… nobody else will ever have something like that between me and her.” 

Looking in from the outside at her daughter’s performance, Wallace’s parents have been nothing but ecstatic and mind blown at the year she has had. 

“Being her mom and a soccer coach, I knew that she always had it in her,” S. Wallace said. “The difference is your child actually believing in themselves versus being told how awesome they are. [Coaches] Alex and Shwabb were able to give her that confidence and encouragement that really helped her shine.” 

Although Sarah has only been able to coach her daughter for one year of her soccer career, she prefers the mother-daughter connection. A connection that sets itself apart from any other. 

“I’ve always wanted to coach her, but to have that relationship to just be mom, supporting her, encouraging her… it’s pretty special,” she said. 

Despite being recruited by four other larger schools, Maya decided to grace JCCC with her talent and attributes, leading the Cavs to win the KJCCC D-II conference, a NJCAA Region 6 title, and finish runner-up at the NJCAA Division II tournament both her freshman and sophomore year. 

As for her legacy, Wallace isn’t worried about holding onto her record. 

“I want someone else to beat the record now so they can work hard, too,” she said. 

Next fall, Wallace will be hanging up her Cavalier jersey, but will still be wearing blue. 

“I’m going to Rockhurst, so I’m really excited,” she said. “I think what I’m taking away from Johnson County is the positivity, so if I can bring that with me [to Rockhurst] that would be nice.” 

Fortunately, we will get one more season out of Wallace before she moves on from JCCC. She will be using this last semester to wear her flowers, and reflect on a brilliant career as a Cavalier athlete. 

“I just want to have a fun semester with the team and end my time at JCCC happy.” 

By Seth Lampton