MCADAMS LONG JOURNEY REWARDED WITH PRO DEAL

A lifelong dream finally came to fruition for Ellen McAdams as she put pen to paper and signed with her first professional club, IFK Kalmar in Sweden, back in August.

IFK Kalmar is in the Damallsvenskan, the highest division of women's soccer in Sweden. The club initially brought her in for a week-and-a-half-long trial period. At the end of the trial, the coaches were impressed and made McAdams her first professional offer.

"My process was kind of a long one," McAdams said. "It didn't seem like things were happening at the speed I wanted them to."

The defensive midfielder has always had to earn her spot. With the Rams, it took McAdams until her senior season to make an impact on the field but McAdams credits her time at VCU in preparing her for her first professional contract.

"I had a lot of challenges getting on the field and fighting for a spot," McAdams said. "I think that helped me develop perseverance and resilience which you really need while trying to pursue a professional career."

She started only four games for VCU in the run up to that senior season. This was on the heels of playing in just four games her sophomore season and none as a freshman.

In her COVID-shortened senior season, she started all 13 games. As a redshirt senior last season, McAdams started all 17 games for VCU and helped lead the Rams to the Atlantic 10 Regular Season title.

McAdams presence on the field helped anchor the Rams' defense as they posted a conference-best 0.81 goals-against average. The Rams went 13-4 overall and held a 9-1 mark in the A-10.

Her development over the five seasons at VCU was remarkable and reflective of both her own hard work and patience while also seizing the opportunities given to her by the VCU coaching staff.

After signing with IFK Kalmar in August, McAdams had to acclimate to both a new country and team. It was another challenge to grow and develop as a player.

Her coaches had expressed to her that she may not see the field early as they wanted her to be fully prepared for the higher level of play during a professional match.

"I really appreciated the opportunity to come in [and get acclimated] because this was my first experience at this level," McAdams said. "Getting used to the speed of play and the intensity, it was nice to have that."

Knowing that she was not going to be put in the lineup, McAdams has continued to train and be ready for her chance to play in the upcoming season, just as she had always done at VCU.

She also worked hard off the field, picking up an internship with the club to fulfill her last remaining credit hours and complete her master's degree from VCU's Center for Sport Leadership.

With the new season starting in March and hopes of playing in her first professional match, McAdams is grateful for all of her experiences that have gotten her to this point in her career.

"You're going to hear a lot of 'no's' and a lot of teams not wanting you," McAdams said. "But in the end, you'll find a team. I found a team and I'm really thankful for building that resilience [at VCU] and having the support of my coaches and teammates."

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#13 Ellen McAdams: Midfield; 5' 3"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#13 Ellen McAdams
: 5' 3"; Junior
: Midfield

Players Mentioned

#13 Ellen McAdams

Players Mentioned

#13 Ellen McAdams