TAMPA, Fla. — Twelve-year-old Adrianna Miranda is spending her summer doing what she loves best: playing soccer. She and other youth volunteers are helping to coach younger players at a summer camp at the University of Tampa.
None of them expected two professional women’s soccer players to walk onto the field on Thursday morning with boxes filled with swag and season tickets to Tampa Bay’s newest professional sports team.
“I thought it was cool because we had season tickets for Rowdy’s games and we would go to all these men’s soccer games every weekend, or whenever they had games,” Miranda said. “Getting season tickets for a women’s team is cool because now, I get to see girls play.”
Riley Parker and Dominque Richardson are two members of the newly formed Tampa Bay Sun Football Club. The team is one of eight that will play in the inaugural season of the USL Super League, with the season set to start next month.
Tampa Bay Sun is the highest level of professional women’s sports in the Tampa Bay area.
After presenting them with Tampa Bay Sun gear and season tickets, Parker and Richardson joined the counselors on the field with the other children.
“I should’ve stretched before this. They’re pretty good. Possibly the next generation of ballers!” Parker said.
These youth volunteers were honored because rather than hanging out at home or at the beach or pool with friends, they are on the field teaching other kids.
“When I used to play here when I was their age, I would look up to the girl counselors and it’s cool to be one of them now,” Yohana Russon said.
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