On Thursday, October 24th the USWNT returned to Q2 Stadium in Austin for its Champions Match against Iceland. While it was an exciting chance for FIERCE players to see the recent Olympic Gold Medalists in action, the match proved to be more than FIERCE could ever dream of!
The evening kicked off with FIERCE's Academy Elite team receiving a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: walking out with the USWNT players. To see FIERCE's youngest players hand-in-hand with the nation's top talent was a historical moment for the club. Coach Carol summed up the significance of the experience best, saying "If they can see it, they can be it."
The adventure continued at halftime, with a high-five tunnel experience for FIERCE players of all ages. After entering a raffle, selected players were led to the locker room tunnel to cheer on USWNT players as they took the pitch for the second half. In true FIERCE fashion, the players demonstrated great sportsmanship in also encouraging the referees and Icelandic players as they passed by. Reflecting on the high-five tunnel, FIERCE staff member Sara shared her favorite moment: "as the US players emerged from the locker room, you could see how serious they were going into the second half. Then, one of our younger FIERCE players yell 'You can do it!' to Lynn Williams, causing the biggest smile to spread on Lynn's face as she walked out. It was a perfect display of the joy soccer brings to our youth, and how often we need to be reminded of that child-like joy in the big moments."
On top of incredible opportunities to meet USWNT players, the night offered time off the pitch for FIERCE players and staff to enjoy each other's company. Overall, this evening would not have been possible without the help the club received from US Soccer and its partners. FIERCE is forever grateful to Nancy at Volkswagen, Matt at US Soccer, and Paul at US Soccer for presenting these opportunities to the club and giving the players a night to remember!