Since a young age, when junior Courtney MacVie first kicked a soccer ball, she has loved the sport. From abandoning her high school social life to her future dreams of coaching, MacVie's life revolves around soccer. In an effort to become a better player, MacVie had to sacrifice a lot in the process.
As a toddler, it was MacVie's older brothers that introduced her to the sport.
"I actually started playing when I was three," MacVie said. "I was really, really little. My two older brothers played and of course I got into it. I wanted to be just like them. I've been playing ever since."
MacVie is a defensive staple and captain of Buffalo's women's soccer team - it was her hard work and dedication throughout the years that has enabled her to achieve these goals.
"I'm from Buffalo, but since the seventh grade I was playing in Rochester," MacVie said. "About five days a week my mom would pick me up from high school and I would go. I wouldn't get home until like ten o'clock at night almost every night. I was doing all my homework in the car."
While her peers at Kenmore East High School were going to dances and experiencing all the other rites of passage associated with adolescence, MacVie was on the road following her dream without any regrets.
"I was really busy with soccer," said MacVie. "I missed a lot but it didn't bother me then, and it still doesn't. I like where I am now and I did the hard work to get there."
MacVie has counted on the help of her family to assist her through her rigorous schedule. Although her brothers were responsible for her introduction to soccer, they have since moved away from the sport. Despite not playing, they remain a major part of her support system, as well as offer advice when needed. Of all her fans, MacVie's parents are her biggest supporters.
"My parents have always been there," MacVie said. "During high school I traveled literally almost every weekend. I'd go to places like West Virginia, Virginia and Florida all the time. I was leaving school on Thursday and getting back late Sunday night. My parents went to every single trip either driving or flying. They spent so much time, effort and money. I can't even think about repaying them. They are definitely the reason I am where I am today."
Hard work and remaining determined are not the only things that MacVie has dealt with though. Last year she was medically red shirted due to various problems.
"I have an extra vertebrae in my spine," said MacVie. "I am hyper-mobile, which means my muscles are not as tight as everyone else's. When I get hit, it's more of an impact for me than for other people. I also had knee surgery in January. I had meniscus issues, so they just went in there and cleaned up my meniscus and tissue behind my kneecap. I was back at it in a month and a half or so."
After a season off, MacVie is healthy and playing again, which is welcome news for her friends and teammates.
Of the twelve juniors currently playing for the Bulls, MacVie lives with seven of them split between two apartments. The little time the girls have between school and soccer is often spent creating their own fun.
"We have a great time together," said junior teammate and roommate Kara Winch. "Like on Halloween when most girls all dress up as like sexy pirates or something we went as Dumb and Dumber. But we went all out. I was in the blue suit. (MacVie) was in the orange suit. (MacVie) blacked out her tooth and we both had top hats and canes. This year Halloween is going to be amazing. But it's a secret. Nobody knows what we are going to be."
Although her schedule is undoubtedly full, MacVie does her best to never miss a meal.
"My favorite thing to do is eat," MacVie said. "My favorite food is Shrek gummies. Oh, and I love turkey night at the dorms - mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberries, so good."
This fact is well known to those close to her as exemplified by her Valentine's Day present from her boyfriend.
"For Valentine's Day my boyfriend made me a life-size cake of myself," MacVie said. "He used eighteen box cakes and made a big layout of me playing soccer. For months we would all grab forks and go into my room, sit on the floor and eat cake."
Presently MacVie is also coaching a soccer team of 11-year-old girls. Eventually she would like to coach at the collegiate level but acknowledges that it is a difficult field. In the mean time she'll continue enjoying her life as it is.
