Ohio Soccer Moms and Dads Scholarship

Dear Mom and Dad, I am a college athlete because of the lessons you taught me, the support you’ve given, and your unwavering love. When I first started soccer playing for Our Lady’s Kindergarten-4 league you both were always there. The year I played on the same team as Lyla (my little sister) you both coached us. I love looking at that year’s team picture because I can see the immense support you have for me and my siblings. Thank you for letting me play travel soccer for Our Lady when I got into 4th grade, after being asked to play up with the 5th graders. I know growing up we financially struggled but you never let us kids know the battle you two were fighting. I appreciate all you must have sacrificed to let me play travel soccer. You both worked while going back to school juggling three little girls and a teenager; I don’t know how you guys did it all. Dad, you continued to coach me when I started travel soccer and you gave all your energy to my team. You would send out BeastMode YouTube videos on foot skills to the team; I would go to the basement on days we didn’t have practice and work through the list of foot skills over and over. I still to this day, a sophomore in college, will revert to those basic fundamental foot skill drills to do on my own. Thank you for instilling in me the knowledge that your dreams take hard work and that every day is a day to get better whether you spend 15 minutes doing toe touches in the basement or go to a field and spend hours working on your long balls. Mama, I didn't realize the hardships that dad being my coach could have put on you until I got into college. You are so strong, and an amazing mom. I understand more every day how much you truly love and wanted your babies to have the best at any cost. So, thank you mom for letting dad be my coach, and thanks dad for being my coach. You both have helped me grow as a soccer player throughout the years by spending hours in the backyard with me and a ball or measuring out sprints in the front of the house. Thank you for coming to all my games. My favorite memory I have of us 3 and soccer is my senior year of high school when I would start, and they’d announce my name we would find each other and hold up the “I love you” sign. Thank you both for being so supportive when I got into college. When I tore my ACL a month into freshman year during a game. You both did nothing but help me. You guys would stand behind me and help move my leg when I wasn’t strong enough. I was so scared during this time that I was never going to be the athlete that I was before but you both pushed me to be greater than I was before and cheered me on throughout the whole process. Thank you for having faith in and supporting me this past season. I appreciate you guys coming to games knowing I might not get in. I love all the support and strength you guys give me to not quit on my dreams and to just work as hard as I can to get those minutes, I want next season. Thank you for being my biggest supporters and my heros. I love you, Ava Quinn