Pro soccer player Ashlyn Harris is busy this week spreading a very important message: Keep fighting because "tomorrow needs you." And, because 800,000 people worldwide take their life each year (that's one person every 40 seconds), it's a proclamation worth listening to. The Orlando Pride goalkeeper and longtime mental health advocate started a fundraising page ahead of World Suicide Prevention [...]
Two years ago, Zayne Burton, who was 12 years old at the time, was receiving his final proton therapy at UF Health Cancer Center in Orlando to treat a brain tumor. He was surrounded by family and friends, and was also surprised by a few players from the Orlando Pride, including midfielder Dani Weatherholt. Little did anyone know that Zayne [...]
Mili Hernandez, 8, simply doesn't like having long hair, so she wears it short to keep it out of her face as she plays soccer. It's a stance World Cup winners Abby Wambach and Mia Hamm support entirely. That's why when Mili and her team were disqualified from a soccer tournament because officials were convinced she was a boy, the [...]
Photo courtesy of Lauren Sesselmann March was full of good sports narratives spanning all ages. From the two fifth-grade journalists who will be helping us cover the AT&T Byron Nelson this year to a 98-year-old skier still ripping down the slopes, there are no limits when it comes to drive and spirit. Here are our top five from [...]
By Kim Constantinesco The greatest lessons are learned when empathy runs wild. No one shows that quite like dynamic girls' soccer coach Reynalda Wallace in When Girls Became Lions, the first ever novel centered around Title IX. Written by Valerie J. Gin and Jo Kadlecek, two former college athletes and college coaches, When Girls Became Lions carries readers through time [...]
Photo: Lauren Sesselmann/Instagram By Steve Coulter It’s hard to find an athlete with more diverse interests than Houston Dash defender Lauren Sesselmann. The Olympic bronze medalist and Canadian national team member has always been known for her superior play on the field, but her portfolio off of it is what makes her a star amongst her National [...]
Photo: CSU-Pueblo We had our best month at P2P in terms of the number of hits we received to the site. We'll continue to bring you more videos, podcasts, and written stories to enhance your experience with us. Now check out our top 5: 5. Podcast: Former NHL Goalie Clint Malarchuk Talks About Dealing With Mental Illness Former [...]
Ella Masar of the Houston Dash is as transparent as any player in the National Women's Soccer League. She graciously opened up to us about growing up with a mother who suffers from severe mental illness, losing her father unexpectedly, and her love for teammate and wife, Erin McLeod. There's a certain grace and rawness to Ella that we're certain [...]
We caught up with Houston Dash forward Kealia Ohai to get the scoop on what it's like to play soccer in the National Women's Soccer League with one functioning eye. We hope you enjoy. Powerful Vision: A Kealia Ohai Story from Purpose2Play on Vimeo.
Photo: BrittBock11/Instagram By Ana Aguilera-Juarez Being reunited with former college coach Randy Waldrum, things were bright for Houston Dash midfielder Brittany Bock. She played for Waldrum at Notre Dame from 2005-08, and helped the team to the NCAA Women's Soccer National Finals in 2006. After years of playing in the Women's Professional Soccer League, she entered the [...]