Thank you for an amazing experience in Norway.
Donation protected
Your support of the Richfield U18 girls team will help offset the total cost of $32,400 for airline tickets and uniforms. Making the trip accessible for all our players. As you will read below, this team is a master at taking on challenges. They have done the hard work, now they need our help.
Competitive soccer is expensive, too expensive for most families in the wonderfully diverse, working-class city of Richfield, MN. In order to let all girls play soccer beyond the recreation league, a group of moms volunteered to coach and manage a competitive team. No cuts were made, and dues were 5% of the neighboring club teams.
"We made every effort to keep competitive soccer affordable and accessible to any girl who wanted to play at a higher level. " Ellen Ruiters, former volunteer coach.
When they entered the highly competitive soccer league 10 years ago, it was a rough start.
"My husband and I welded soccer goals in our garage, and we ironed on player numbers to t-shirts because we had limited resources." manager Nikki Hintz .
"The only reason I can play competitive soccer is that Richfield was not as expensive as the other clubs." Evey, forward
"Before Richfield, I had to take a break from playing soccer because my parents could not afford clubs." Elizabeth, forward."
"Those first few years we got our butt-kicked., Losing 0-12 kind of butt kick. The girls just loved playing together, so they kept coming back to play, so we kept coaching, They played because they loved soccer, and each other, the score never deterred them," said Ellen.
They have played many skilled teams that were gracious winners, they played teams that called them trash and ghetto. Mayah, a midfielder on the team, remembers a game when she came off the field in tears because a parent from the opposing team was calling her and her teammates trash.
Opposing teams have demanded they stop speaking Spanish on the field.
"I'm pretty sure we are all fluent in Spanish and English. If you hear us on the field, we are constantly switching between two languages. It's normal for us. We are pretty unique that way. We deeply value one another." said Mayah
"I have 16 sisters on this team who want the best for me, and I want the best for them. We make sure we never give up." Alex, midfielder
They have not always been welcome in competitive soccer. Even with a winning season, in 2017 Richfield was locked out of a local league, because they didn't have paid staff. They logged hours traveling to find teams to play. Each game made them better and each challenge made them more determined. And today, ten years after our first game, they are pretty good.
So good they placed 2nd in the USA Cup last summer.
"What makes their championship game so remarkable is they only play 1 or 2 tournaments a summer because tournaments are expensive. We have a lot less tournament experience than other teams," said former soccer coach Betsy Lindow.
As a result of being in the Championship at the 2021 USA CUP, Richfield was selected to play in the Norway Cup July 30- Aug 8. The team will have to cover their airline tickets, and uniforms/warm-ups, but Norway Cup will pay for the rest.
Two years ago, they hired their first head coach Stanley. With only enough resources to pay for one coach, Beder stepped up to volunteer as the assistant coach. They know It is not always easy to coach a team with limited access to transportation and resources. And in addition to school and soccer, some of the girls are working 30-40 hours a week to help out their families. They play with heart, and that is something no coach can teach. They just never give up, that is what makes them such a special team.
"There have been times when my parents had to work, and I had to miss games because I had to take care of my siblings. This team is way more to me than a team, they are my family. They bring me up, even when I'm down. These are the best girls you will ever meet." Elizabeth, forward
"We used to be known as the "underdog team" and to be honest, we lost a bunch of games, but we put in the work and the effort to get to where we are! The girls on our team are the most hard-working, dedicated, and amazing people I have ever met. They deserve to go to Norway, Unlike a bunch of other teams, we don't have the same opportunities. While our girls are always working hard in soccer, they also have to work for their parents, take care of siblings, put food on the table. The girls on our team work hard to support themselves, and we need some support from others." Liv, goalie
"You won't be donating to just any team, you'd be donating to a team that loves the sport, plays like a family, and works extremely hard. I can guarantee that we won't waste this experience." Morgan, forward
They have done the hard work, now they need our help to get to Norway. Not to win, but to prove it’s possible
HOW TO HELP
Make a personal donation.
Sponsor team warm-ups.
Become a team sponsor.
Spread the word!
Stanley, why do you, coach?
I coach for the kids.
I coach to watch these amazing kids grow and develop as players and as young adults.
I coach for the passion I have for soccer.
I coach for the kids.
I coach for the laughter's the smiles, the anger, the disappointments, and the tears that the game brings us.
I coach for the relationships and bonds that get created along the way of everything.
I coach to push and discipline these kids to be their very best in life.
I coach for the kids.
I coach to be a mentor for the young kids and to be someone they can trust and talk to about their mental, social and emotional state of mind. Our outside lives are completely different from each other, we don't know what someone else is going through, so, to be that one person a student/player can trust or even talk to is more important to me than anything.
I coach to give these kids changes that I never had growing up as a young player in the city of Richfield.
I COACH FOR THE KIDS.
"We made every effort to keep competitive soccer affordable and accessible to any girl who wanted to play at a higher level. " Ellen Ruiters, former volunteer coach.
When they entered the highly competitive soccer league 10 years ago, it was a rough start.
"My husband and I welded soccer goals in our garage, and we ironed on player numbers to t-shirts because we had limited resources." manager Nikki Hintz .
"The only reason I can play competitive soccer is that Richfield was not as expensive as the other clubs." Evey, forward
"Before Richfield, I had to take a break from playing soccer because my parents could not afford clubs." Elizabeth, forward."
"Those first few years we got our butt-kicked., Losing 0-12 kind of butt kick. The girls just loved playing together, so they kept coming back to play, so we kept coaching, They played because they loved soccer, and each other, the score never deterred them," said Ellen.
They have played many skilled teams that were gracious winners, they played teams that called them trash and ghetto. Mayah, a midfielder on the team, remembers a game when she came off the field in tears because a parent from the opposing team was calling her and her teammates trash.
Opposing teams have demanded they stop speaking Spanish on the field.
"I'm pretty sure we are all fluent in Spanish and English. If you hear us on the field, we are constantly switching between two languages. It's normal for us. We are pretty unique that way. We deeply value one another." said Mayah
"I have 16 sisters on this team who want the best for me, and I want the best for them. We make sure we never give up." Alex, midfielder
They have not always been welcome in competitive soccer. Even with a winning season, in 2017 Richfield was locked out of a local league, because they didn't have paid staff. They logged hours traveling to find teams to play. Each game made them better and each challenge made them more determined. And today, ten years after our first game, they are pretty good.
So good they placed 2nd in the USA Cup last summer.
"What makes their championship game so remarkable is they only play 1 or 2 tournaments a summer because tournaments are expensive. We have a lot less tournament experience than other teams," said former soccer coach Betsy Lindow.
As a result of being in the Championship at the 2021 USA CUP, Richfield was selected to play in the Norway Cup July 30- Aug 8. The team will have to cover their airline tickets, and uniforms/warm-ups, but Norway Cup will pay for the rest.
Two years ago, they hired their first head coach Stanley. With only enough resources to pay for one coach, Beder stepped up to volunteer as the assistant coach. They know It is not always easy to coach a team with limited access to transportation and resources. And in addition to school and soccer, some of the girls are working 30-40 hours a week to help out their families. They play with heart, and that is something no coach can teach. They just never give up, that is what makes them such a special team.
"There have been times when my parents had to work, and I had to miss games because I had to take care of my siblings. This team is way more to me than a team, they are my family. They bring me up, even when I'm down. These are the best girls you will ever meet." Elizabeth, forward
"We used to be known as the "underdog team" and to be honest, we lost a bunch of games, but we put in the work and the effort to get to where we are! The girls on our team are the most hard-working, dedicated, and amazing people I have ever met. They deserve to go to Norway, Unlike a bunch of other teams, we don't have the same opportunities. While our girls are always working hard in soccer, they also have to work for their parents, take care of siblings, put food on the table. The girls on our team work hard to support themselves, and we need some support from others." Liv, goalie
"You won't be donating to just any team, you'd be donating to a team that loves the sport, plays like a family, and works extremely hard. I can guarantee that we won't waste this experience." Morgan, forward
They have done the hard work, now they need our help to get to Norway. Not to win, but to prove it’s possible
HOW TO HELP
Make a personal donation.
Sponsor team warm-ups.
Become a team sponsor.
Spread the word!
Stanley, why do you, coach?
I coach for the kids.
I coach to watch these amazing kids grow and develop as players and as young adults.
I coach for the passion I have for soccer.
I coach for the kids.
I coach for the laughter's the smiles, the anger, the disappointments, and the tears that the game brings us.
I coach for the relationships and bonds that get created along the way of everything.
I coach to push and discipline these kids to be their very best in life.
I coach for the kids.
I coach to be a mentor for the young kids and to be someone they can trust and talk to about their mental, social and emotional state of mind. Our outside lives are completely different from each other, we don't know what someone else is going through, so, to be that one person a student/player can trust or even talk to is more important to me than anything.
I coach to give these kids changes that I never had growing up as a young player in the city of Richfield.
I COACH FOR THE KIDS.
Organizer and beneficiary
Ellen Higginbotham
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
Stacey Gibbs
Beneficiary