Still getting her kicks
After starring as a member of the Butler High School and James Madison University women's soccer teams, Annie Lowry wasn't just going to walk away from the game altogether and get on with her life's work.
Not on your life.
“I play on five coed teams,” beamed Lowry, of Arlington, Va. “One is through the company and that's a lot of fun. ... It's kind of funny that they didn't expect someone to show up and be able to play.
“Some leagues are in Arlington, some in Washington D.C. Some are with my old James Madison teammates and some guys in the area that were Division I players.
“We won a tournament in Las Vegas, we won a tournament in Dallas and we hope to win one in Virginia Beach. I'm super-competitive. I love to keep it going. I love soccer and I don't ever want to stop,” she added.
Lowry certainly has the pedigree.
After her success with the Tornado — 84 goals, 122 points and playing a huge role in helping Butler to a pair of trips to the PIAA Class AAA championship game in Hershey — Lowry moved on to the Dukes' program, where she shined with 28 career goals, 74 points and two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Lowry also earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America first-team status in 2007 and was a three-time All-Colonial Athletic Association, all-region and all-state selection.
She was also chosen as the JMU Student Athlete of the year her junior and senior campaigns.
A year after graduating, in 2009, Lowry was named to the CAA's Silver Anniversary team, one of just 25 players in the history of the conference to be selected.
Lowry, 26, moved on to work at IBM in Washington, D.C. before becoming a senior consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, a government contractor firm.
Currently, Lowry is a member of the Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical Program Management office.
Her job is to help create the new Walter Reed Army Medical Center with the renovated Bethesda Naval campus.
“My office is in risk management and scheduling and analysis,” Lowry said. “It's the first project in history to include the Army, Navy and Air Force with one hospital. There's a lot of coordinating because they all work differently.”
With the hectic work schedule, soccer is the one thing Lowry can always turn to and enjoy.
“Soccer keeps me sane,” Lowry said. “I've played since I was four ... It's been the one constant in my life.”
Lowry has also found time to coach, lending a hand in the Arlington Soccer Association.
“It's a way to give back to the community,” Lowry said. “It helps get kids to the next level and I also coach individuals as well.”
And Lowry always had a feeling soccer would continue to be a big part of her life, even when her scholastic and collegiate careers were finished.
“It was never a question why I liked soccer,” Lowry said. “When I was little, I looked forward to playing in high school, and the travel teams, the Olympic Development team, college, then playing professionally.
“Playing professionally never happened. I wanted to get my career going, but I knew soccer would be there.”
