Lake Forest's Shipp sails
away from pro career
By Nick Frazier
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought sports to a screeching halt in March, Harry Shipp suddenly had ample free time on his hands.
He used it to come to the realization, it was time to hang up his cleats.
Shipp, a Lake Forest native, announced his retirement from professional soccer on June 16 after helping Seattle Sounders FC win the 2019 Major League Soccer Cup. After six seasons and 164 games in the league, the 5-foot-9 midfielder knew he had reached his athletic peak.
Shipp, 28, said he first considered retirement after last season, when he tallied five goals and three assists for Sounders FC during its title run.
“I started thinking about what makes me happiest and what I wanted the next few years of my life to be,” Shipp said. “It happens to every athlete around this age -- you get as good as you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s hard to swallow because there are always athletic limitations, [but] you can’t just keep getting better into your 30s and 40s. I just felt like I had peaked as a player, and I felt like there wasn’t a ton of growing I had left to do.”
Though Shipp originally intended to play a full season in 2020, the coronavirus outbreak put a stop to that. This fall Shipp will begin working towards his MBA in Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Shipp could have played high-level soccer for several more years, but everything fell into place for him to retire now.
“I always knew I wanted to do something outside of soccer when I was done playing,” Shipp said. “The later I waited to make that transition, there were certain things that were going to be cut off for me if I was 35 trying to do them. It wasn’t an easy decision, but balancing all of those things it just seemed like now is the right time.”
Rob Parry, Shipp’s coach at Lake Forest High School, said Shipp never let on that he was mulling retirement. Yet the veteran head coach had a feeling his former star might walk away from the game earlier than anticipated.
“I think he just thought ‘I’m ready to go, I’m ready to start the next chapter,’” Parry said. “He enjoyed playing there; Seattle is a great organization. I think he wanted to go to grad school and move on to that while everything is still kind of fresh in his mind.”
Shipp put together an impressive resume before retiring. As a Lake Forest Scout, Shipp totaled 32 goals and 27 assists and was a two-time all-state selection. He also participated in the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program and the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
At the University of Notre Dame, Shipp shined even brighter. He guided the Fighting Irish to the program's first national championship in 2013. At forward in South Bend, Ind., Shipp was a first-team All-American, the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Offensive Player. He even played alongside his younger brother, Michael, during his senior season for the Irish.
The collegiate success led the Chicago Fire FC to sign Shipp to a Homegrown Player contract in 2014. He was a Rookie of the Year finalist in his first MLS season, notching seven goals and six assists in 33 games. Shipp played two seasons with Chicago, then a year with the Montreal Impact before ending his career with Sounders FC.
Off the field, Shipp served as the Sounders FC’s union rep. He he helped negotiate the league’s return to play before retiring.
“Since he arrived in Seattle, Harry has shown that he is a reliable player and a consummate professional,” Sounders FC head coach Brian Schmetzer said in a press release. “He worked hard as the union representative for our club and was well liked in the locker room. I’m happy for Harry to start a new chapter in his life.”
Looking back, Parry remembers Shipp’s intense work ethic and his maturity as an athlete. Parry uses Shipp as a reference point for current Scouts who want to reach the professional level.
“He helped us out in so many ways,” Parry said of Shipp. "Every year we have a fundraiser, he donates a pair of shoes or a jersey. It wasn’t just for us, he did a lot of things. When he was with the Fire, any public appearance he was approached to do, he did it.
"His last year at Notre Dame when they won the national title, he was a captain. Then his first couple of years with the Fire, he really grew up and matured and turned into the fine young man he is.”
Shipp is used to staying busy as a soccer player, but he’s been enjoying getting to relax and spend time with his wife, Maria. After staying with family in Louisville for a few months, the Shipps are back in Chicago and relishing the time off.
“You get in our line of work, you never really have free time in the summer, that’s usually our busiest time of the year,” Shipp said. “(I'm) Just enjoying the summer and doing things that I didn’t get the chance to do the last seven years or so.”
Harry will start taking classes soon as he completes the transition to life after soccer. He used the suspension of the MLS season to make a choice that was best for him. It'ssomething he suggests advises Illinois high school soccer players to do as well. With the IHSA moving boys soccer to the spring season, Shipp encourages aspiring athletes to be adaptable and to use the free time to visualize their goals.
“I was able to take a step back and think about what I really wanted, that’s why I ended up making the decision to leave soccer,” Shipp said. “You can make some really powerful decisions when you have that time to think about things.”
away from pro career
By Nick Frazier
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought sports to a screeching halt in March, Harry Shipp suddenly had ample free time on his hands.
He used it to come to the realization, it was time to hang up his cleats.
Shipp, a Lake Forest native, announced his retirement from professional soccer on June 16 after helping Seattle Sounders FC win the 2019 Major League Soccer Cup. After six seasons and 164 games in the league, the 5-foot-9 midfielder knew he had reached his athletic peak.
Shipp, 28, said he first considered retirement after last season, when he tallied five goals and three assists for Sounders FC during its title run.
“I started thinking about what makes me happiest and what I wanted the next few years of my life to be,” Shipp said. “It happens to every athlete around this age -- you get as good as you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s hard to swallow because there are always athletic limitations, [but] you can’t just keep getting better into your 30s and 40s. I just felt like I had peaked as a player, and I felt like there wasn’t a ton of growing I had left to do.”
Though Shipp originally intended to play a full season in 2020, the coronavirus outbreak put a stop to that. This fall Shipp will begin working towards his MBA in Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Shipp could have played high-level soccer for several more years, but everything fell into place for him to retire now.
“I always knew I wanted to do something outside of soccer when I was done playing,” Shipp said. “The later I waited to make that transition, there were certain things that were going to be cut off for me if I was 35 trying to do them. It wasn’t an easy decision, but balancing all of those things it just seemed like now is the right time.”
Rob Parry, Shipp’s coach at Lake Forest High School, said Shipp never let on that he was mulling retirement. Yet the veteran head coach had a feeling his former star might walk away from the game earlier than anticipated.
“I think he just thought ‘I’m ready to go, I’m ready to start the next chapter,’” Parry said. “He enjoyed playing there; Seattle is a great organization. I think he wanted to go to grad school and move on to that while everything is still kind of fresh in his mind.”
Shipp put together an impressive resume before retiring. As a Lake Forest Scout, Shipp totaled 32 goals and 27 assists and was a two-time all-state selection. He also participated in the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program and the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
At the University of Notre Dame, Shipp shined even brighter. He guided the Fighting Irish to the program's first national championship in 2013. At forward in South Bend, Ind., Shipp was a first-team All-American, the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Offensive Player. He even played alongside his younger brother, Michael, during his senior season for the Irish.
The collegiate success led the Chicago Fire FC to sign Shipp to a Homegrown Player contract in 2014. He was a Rookie of the Year finalist in his first MLS season, notching seven goals and six assists in 33 games. Shipp played two seasons with Chicago, then a year with the Montreal Impact before ending his career with Sounders FC.
Off the field, Shipp served as the Sounders FC’s union rep. He he helped negotiate the league’s return to play before retiring.
“Since he arrived in Seattle, Harry has shown that he is a reliable player and a consummate professional,” Sounders FC head coach Brian Schmetzer said in a press release. “He worked hard as the union representative for our club and was well liked in the locker room. I’m happy for Harry to start a new chapter in his life.”
Looking back, Parry remembers Shipp’s intense work ethic and his maturity as an athlete. Parry uses Shipp as a reference point for current Scouts who want to reach the professional level.
“He helped us out in so many ways,” Parry said of Shipp. "Every year we have a fundraiser, he donates a pair of shoes or a jersey. It wasn’t just for us, he did a lot of things. When he was with the Fire, any public appearance he was approached to do, he did it.
"His last year at Notre Dame when they won the national title, he was a captain. Then his first couple of years with the Fire, he really grew up and matured and turned into the fine young man he is.”
Shipp is used to staying busy as a soccer player, but he’s been enjoying getting to relax and spend time with his wife, Maria. After staying with family in Louisville for a few months, the Shipps are back in Chicago and relishing the time off.
“You get in our line of work, you never really have free time in the summer, that’s usually our busiest time of the year,” Shipp said. “(I'm) Just enjoying the summer and doing things that I didn’t get the chance to do the last seven years or so.”
Harry will start taking classes soon as he completes the transition to life after soccer. He used the suspension of the MLS season to make a choice that was best for him. It'ssomething he suggests advises Illinois high school soccer players to do as well. With the IHSA moving boys soccer to the spring season, Shipp encourages aspiring athletes to be adaptable and to use the free time to visualize their goals.
“I was able to take a step back and think about what I really wanted, that’s why I ended up making the decision to leave soccer,” Shipp said. “You can make some really powerful decisions when you have that time to think about things.”