Letter to the Editor: True ‘Sports-Mom-Ship’

Dear Editor,

I should be writing this letter to a U-12 girls Sterling FC soccer mom named Nancy, a bright spot in soccer parenting who recently floored me with one of those gestures you don’t experience often enough.

My kids have played travel soccer for six years and I’ve witnessed my fair share of competitiveness spilling onto the sidelines. My hope here is to highlight Nancy as the antidote to that: someone who embodies the spirit of the game and true sports-mom-ship.

Sterling FC played Arlington Sol in a Virginia State Cup quarterfinal game this past weekend. It was 0-0 with under 10 minutes left when Arlington scored off a corner – a textbook volley — and then sealed it with a PK in the last minute. Arlington’s win knocked Sterling out of the cup.

+Watch the Goal

Three days later, I received an email from Nancy, who had gotten my name from VYSA (I’m the team manager). Nancy had been videotaping her daughter and captured that sweet goal, and asked if I could pass it along to the parent or coach. She even set it to music. Nancy had no idea that it was my kid who scored the goal. That video was priceless … to my daughter (talk about confidence-building!) and to me, and to her Dad and other relatives who couldn’t be there.

Nancy: Thank you for capturing that moment, thank you for sharing it. Thank you for being a sports-mom-ship role model. I hope to pay it forward.

With gratitude,
Wendy Green