I joined The Classics the year I was eligible to, thus being
the baby of the group of women who had been playing soccer with each other for
as long as twenty years or more. I was a newbie to the sport, starting to play
with the Fairfax Women’s Soccer Association only the year before, following a
long break after playing the sport for the first time during the first year of
my marriage while trying to establish an identity in a new environment (new country,
new state, new marital status, new employment status, new uncertainty). I was
welcomed with open arms and introduced to indoor soccer and soccer tournaments
and non-soccer trips and outings, things that I enthusiastically participated
in and very much enjoyed. Over the years, the group contracted and expanded as
the team went through changes, large and small. We lost some members to cancer,
but their spirits live on and a core of spirited, strong-willed, fun-loving
women remains. As they aged, so did the age group of the team. As the team lost
older members, we gained younger members. I am no longer the baby of the group,
except when counted among the core. I think of the core as The Classics. They
still have fun. They still go on tournaments and trips. They meet regularly to
socialize and have fun. The core is still there, playing and being the role
models for younger players, many of whom say they want to be just like these
women when they grow up.
