Kerry McCarron
Kerry McCarron was born to Robert and Barbara McCarron on September 27, 1983. She is a 2002 graduate of Ashland High School, a 2006 graduate of Elon University, and a 2009 graduate of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, earning her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Her commitment to excellence, her willingness to accept difficult tasks, and her competitive spirit began early in her childhood and continues today.
Kerry was introduced to soccer at a very young age. She was the youngest and smallest kid in the neighborhood and soccer was the neighborhood game. She would tag along with her brother, Devin, as he and his friends would meet at Duff Field to practice and play. Wanting to follow her brother’s footsteps, Kerry quickly developed a strong competitive spirit and a passion for the game.
At age 8, Kerry joined Ashland’s first girls travel team, the Bluebirds, and competed in the Northern Ohio Girls Soccer League, which was based out of Cleveland. She continued to play with the Bluebird team until she was 14. At age 10, Kerry also joined the Cleveland based Ohio Premier Team and shortly after switched to the Internationals Soccer Club which won 6 State Championships, 2 Region II Championships, 4 National Indoor Championships, and in 2000 qualified for the USYSF Final Four National Championship.
Kerry was selected as one of eighteen players on the Ohio North State Olympic Development Team from 1996-2001. In 1997, as one of 18 players, from the 14 state Region II, she was selected for the United State Region II Pool soccer team and competed in the ODP National Tournament in Dallas, Texas. Also in 1997 Kerry was selected for the Ohio North ODP European Team, which allowed her to travel and compete against teams in England and Scotland.
Kerry attended Ashland High School from 1998-2002. She was a four-year member of the Varsity soccer team and a two-year member of the track team. She was also a member of the National Honor Society, was elected Student Council Secretary, and selected as the Sports Editor of the Panorama, the high school’s newspaper. She graduated with a GPA of 3.71.
On the soccer field Kerry earned a Varsity Letter and was a Scholar-Athlete all four years helping the team establish a 58-13-3 record. She was selected Team Co-Captain from 1999-2001; team MVP in 1998, 1999, and 2001; Offensive MVP in 1998 and 2001; NW Ohio All-Star Team in 1999-2001; Ohio Heartland Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 1999 and 2001; North Central Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association (NCOSSCA) All-District MVP in 1999 and 2001; Second Team All-Ohio in 1999; First Team All-Ohio in 2001. In Kerry’s high school career and with the support of her teammates she scored 64 goals, and had 54 assists, which were both AHS records when she graduated. Kerry is currently listed in the OHSAA record book for her assist record.
Following high school, Kerry was recruited to play soccer by Division I Elon University located in North Carolina. As a midfielder she was a four-year letter winner and during her career, she was selected as Team Co-Captain in 2004 and 2005, and TIAA-CREF Academic All-Southern Conference Team from 2003-2005. She was also selected as a residential summer soccer coach for Elon University in 2003 and 2004, and for North Carolina State University and East Carolina University in 2004. Kerry was appointed as a member of Elon’s Student Athletic Advisory Council in 2003, and was selected as one of four student-athletes to revise Elon’s Student Athletic Policy Handbook in 2003. The revision was selected by the NCAA as one of three policy proposals to be presented at the NCAA’s Athletic Prevention Programming and Leadership Education Conference (APPLE), designed to promote student-athlete wellness and substance abuse prevention. This national conference was attended by all NCAA represented sports programming in 2004.
In 2006 Kerry was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa – The National Leadership Honor Society, based on student leadership, athletic achievement, superior scholarship, and exemplary character and into Chi Alpha Sigma – The National College Athlete Honor Society. Kerry graduated with a GPA of 3.45 in 2006 with a major in Exercise/Sports Science and a minor in Spanish.
While in North Carolina, Kerry coached a Girl’s U-12 Travel Soccer Team in Burlington in 2005, and 2006, and worked as a Nanny for four children ages 2, 4, 6, and 8.
Kerry attended the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in Florida from 2007 – 2009. While there she was elected Class Representative for 2008 and 2009, and hired as a teaching assistant for the Mock Physical Therapy Clinic in 2009. Kerry graduated in 2009 with at Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Degree. She is currently employed as a DPT by Restore Therapy Services at St. Augustine Health and Rehabilitation Center located in St. Augustine, Florida.
“The soccer accolades are not mine alone, but also belong to my teammates, my coaches and to those who surrounded me and made all this possible. Thank you all for the love, support, and encouragement throughout my career.”
Nominator: Jerry White
