When the Virginia State Cup Final Four tournament kicks off on May 30th in Williamsburg, Virginia, one surprise will definitely be among the elite representatives in the U14 girls age group. The U14 NVSC Majestics earned their shot at the title in true Cinderella fashion, beating the top seed and previous champion Chantilly Hotspurs 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
The berth into the Virginia Youth Soccer Association State Cup finals is one the young Majestics have long labored to earn. The team was formed at the U9 age group in 2003 and included eleven members that played at seven vs. seven game format. From the original eleven, six members remain on the current roster of sixteen. Ashley Cox, Kristen Metz, Caroline Mulder, Gabby Powell, Ashley Plaster, and Nicole Schweitzer remain from the original 2003 Majestics team. Several others joined in the following years, especially when the games switched to full-sided eleven vs. eleven matches.
Arguably, the difference in the NVSC Majestics this season could be described as obtaining mental maturity in their approach to the game. With the mechanics of technical skills emphasized throughout the early stages of development, the next crucial step may be a degree of self actualization that cannot be taught by a coach. The players must mature as a team and accept responsibility for their actions as a single unit on the field. Belief in oneself, both as a player and a single team entity, is one such aspect that the Majestics are beginning to grasp in their soccer maturity.
The NVSC Majestics also form the core of the Northern Virginia Football Club Super Y-League Majestics and compete all summer in the USL’s national youth league. Two members of the NVSC U14 Majestics, Meghan Cox and Autumn Berry, were selected to the USL ODP National Camp in 2008 which saw Berry named to the ODP National Select Team.
Joining Cox, Berry, and the original six members on the NVSC U14 Majestics are Jasmin Berrios, Karly Brusie, Tori Burress, Megan Cross, Stephanie Gaskins, Bethany Jackson, Melissa Polen, and Quincy Slora.
Northern Virginia Football Club, comprised of both the Northern Virginia Royals (male) and Northern Virginia Majestics (female) USL teams, is represented by the club record of both thirty-two players in SYL ODP Camp pool and five teams in the 2008 North American Finals. Nineteen players from the Royals and thirteen players from the Majestics Super Y-League programs comprise Northern Virginia’s representation.
The NVSC Majestics face off against the U14 Richmond Kickers in the State Cup semifinal on May 30th.
