Megan Jackson (Flanagan) - Real Class of 2005
Where did you go to college and did you play soccer for the college?
VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) and yes I played soccer there!
Please share a quick bit about what you are up to?
Currently I live in Southeast Aurora with my husband and our 4 kids. I am lucky enough to stay home with my kids/be their personal chauffeur and my husband is in the car business at AutoNation Jeep-Arapahoe. We stay very busy as each of our kids compete in different sports. Our oldest Mikaela (8) sadly didn't love soccer but she has found her passion in track and tumbling. Cameron (6), our oldest son has played several seasons with Real and loves it! He also plays flag football, basketball and baseball. Cooper (3) just finished his first year with the cubbies and it will definitely not be his last! Our youngest, Cassius (1) sits back and watches them all right now but when his time comes, he will be more than ready!
Favorite Food?
Chipotle Chicken bowl with guac :)
First concert you went to and where?
I actually don't remember haha but favorite concert was Justin Bieber's Justice Tour
When did you come to Real Colorado?
U10 or younger
Favorite Movie?
Probably The Sandlot
What team did you play at for Real Colorado?
Real Colorado '86 National
Who were some of the coaches your remember?
I remember all of my coaches but 3 that played a huge role in my soccer career were Theresa, Lorne and Neil. Theresa was one of my first coaches and the best thing about that is that I still get to see her out coaching young kids, like my own, to this day! Neil was my coach through high school and Lorne was my summer league coach when the Cougars were around. I also did some skills sessions with Rivers and Marty. I have nothing but great things to say about all of these coaches as they all molded me into the player I became and also the person I am.
What is a best memory(ies) at Real Colorado?
There are a lot of great memories that I have but traveling with my team was always a favorite. The 15 passenger van rides, rooming with your best friends, doing my teammates hair, inside jokes...I probably have better memories from some of the out of state tournaments we went on then some family vacations I went on. The best memory though would be that through the coaching and networking of the Real Soccer program, I was able to get a full ride scholarship to play D1 soccer!
What do you view as the most important qualities you learned as a player that apply to your current life?
Just to name a few, I would say leadership, being a team player and time management. I believe that soccer and sport in general are so vital to teaching many life lessons. Whether you are a stay at home mom like me or in sales like my husband, the qualities and lessons that you learn as an athlete are so important and you will take them with you no matter what you end up doing.
If you could go back in time and talk to yourself when you first started playing, what advise would you give?
The advice I would give to my younger self would have to be to put in more time working on your weaknesses and you can most likely always work harder/smarter than you already are.
What is a key life lesson you learned from playing soccer at Real Colorado?
Playing soccer in general taught me so much but I think no matter what role you end up in after soccer, you will always find that being a team player is so important. Before I was a stay at home mom I was in sales at Lifetime Fitness and while the sales team was not my soccer team, we were still a team and in the professional world you still have to adapt and learn other people in order to work well together. Being a team player also means that you want to be competitive and work hard for those around you!
