Eighteen-year-old Shaquana “Coco” McDonough will represent the United States on the Deaf Olympics Soccer Team in Tai Pei, China this fall.

A lifelong Pembroke resident, she is a senior at The Learning Center School for the Deaf in Framingham and recently graduated from Pembroke High School. She played soccer for Pembroke High School in 2007 and was named Bay State Female Athlete of the Year in 2008. She currently plays for the Crusaders United Soccer Club based in Plymouth. McDonough also plays basketball for The Learning Center High School Lady Ghosts and scored her 2,000th basket in February.

How long have you been playing soccer? I have been playing soccer for about 16 years. I started playing soccer by watching my older brother, Jason.

Do you play other sports? I play basketball, track and field and golf on teams, but there are many other sports I play for fun. I hate to sit down and do nothing. I like to play something to keep me busy and work on my skills and become a better player.

What teams do you play on? I play on U-18 Crusaders United soccer team and my school track and field team.

When and why are you going to Tai Pei? I am planning to go Tai Pei on Aug. 26 to Sept. 15 for soccer. I was invited to go by my coach, Mary Silvestri, a former Deaf Olympics soccer player. She encouraged me to play and I have always wanted to play in the Olympics, so I have been attending tryouts for 3-4 years now and I finally made it. I have never been overseas before.

Were you born with hearing problems? I was born sick, failure to thrive. I found out I was deaf maybe at age one, I believe. I can hear words if I read the lyrics first, then I will understand (like putting a puzzle together with rhythm). Lip reading is my main way of communicating with people. I use a videophone (like a Web cam but it’s a phone for deaf people).

Does being deaf affect how you play sports? Actually, it depends on the situation. It does make it harder for me during sports. I can’t hear the whistle at all. It’s kind of hard to communicate with my team on the field or court, but I taught my team some sign language. It helps me and makes me feel a lot more involved with my teammates.

You recently were recognized with the John P. Garrahan Community Award in Framingham for teaching diversity in your school. What did you do? I started a workshop for gay, lesbian and bisexual alliance. I had noticed people starting to bully my friends and it made me feel so mad and I wanted to help my friends. I don’t want anyone bullied; it makes no sense and I have been through those struggles (with being bullied), too.

What are your plans after graduation? My plan for the future is to become an athletic director or physical education teacher. Of course I also would like to become a basketball and soccer coach.

What are your hobbies? My hobbies are playing sports (many others like floor hockey, football, softball, etc.), dancing, listing to music, signing and singing to music, cruising, hanging out with friends and making new friends. I like to do anything that keeps me busy.

How did you get your nickname “Coco”? I was a tomboy and my family kept calling me Connor when they couldn’t say my full name. One time I was playing on a high chair and climbing on a shelf, and my sister Kristin called my name, ‘Co,’ but I couldn’t hear it, and she kept saying ‘Co! Co!’ But I still didn’t hear her. Then she tried calling me ‘Coco’ and finally got my attention. She named me Coco after that.