Meet Jada Roussel-Austin. Jada is the Goalkeeper for the '08 U14 Rockford Raptors from Rockford Illinois. As most grandmothers would say, Jada is a special kid. Born on February 29th, 2008 (yes, a leap year baby), Jada is the 3rd of 5 children. She is enrolled in the Fine Arts program in her school district (accelerated learning) and is a Jr Leader at her church. She is very loving at heart and likes to help people where ever she can. Jada's true passion is SOCCER!

Standing at 5'8, 150lbs at 13yrs old, Jada has caught the eye of everyone who has seen her play. But it's not just her stature, it is the way that Jada plays and her approach to the game. Jada has shown exceptional talent from an early age. She has been called , " ...a Coach's dream..." because she is all business and possesses the ability to duplicate whatever she is shown. She has been playing since the age of 7 and only recently has she actually played with her own age. Having always played up and training with kids as old as seniors in high school to young colligate players, Jada often subs for the '06 and '05 Girls teams for the raptors.

Jada grades out pretty high as far as Goalkeepers her age in the Midwestern region of the U.S. by those in the know. Experts have said, "...there is rare talent here. You need to ride this until the wheels fall off. You must consider giving Jada every opportunity available for her to succeed. The sky is the limit!"

This is where the issues have come into the picture. Jada has been invited to try out for the Illinois Olympic Developmental Program. This is the program that helps stock the US Women's National Team with talent. THIS is Jada's dream. Jada has a very legitimate shot at making the Midwest Regional team and if she can do that, who know how far this could go. The issue, is funding. Being a family of 7 on primarily a single income, to put it plainly, funds are starting to get short as soccer is not cheap. Let's help Jada reach that dream or at least, let's not let this dream fall to the wayside simply because of a financial obstacle. She has the desire, the passion, the attitude, the work ethic, and the Ability. The hope is to raise $5,500 by October to help with the cost of:

• Club fees and uniforms
• ODP fees and uniforms
• Equipment - Goalkeeper gloves, cleats, pads
• Travel expenses ( the biggest cost as Club and ODP travel several times through out the year)

We humbly ask that you ask your heart to see if a desire might rise to help give this child a shot. No donation is too small. Just imagine, what if she becomes great! You will have helped make that happen! 

Thank you for taking the time to read Jada's story. God bless!