Support Mia's Dream: Training at FC Barcelona

Hey guys, Courtney (Mia's mom) here. Mia attended La Barca Academy in Raleigh, NC this month and was selected among a small number of other players to travel to Barcelona, Spain to train and play at FC Barcelona's exclusive headquarters. This team has been the home of many famous soccer players like Messi, Ronaldinho, Xavi, and (her favorite) Lamine Yamal among so many others. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is known to open many doors for the players who are selected.

I wasn't going to add the story of us finding out she was selected, but I truly have to give credit where it is due. The Monday that we were told invitations would be sent was quite honestly the most insane day we have had in a long time. I had been battling crazy tooth pain, so I found a dentist in Greensboro who could see me and took off for my appointment. The kids went to VBS (in Danville) and beforehand Mia had asked if I received anything, but I hadn't. While I was driving to Greensboro, I noticed my car was shaking, but I was just praying to make it to the appointment. I did, and as I was waiting, I sent an email to the camp just to check in on invites. My appointment went worse than expected, and I found out I had to have oral surgery the following week that would cost a few THOUSAND dollars. I came out already feeling defeated and realized my tire was, for lack of a better word, tore up. My alignment had shifted, and it looked like something went around it in a line and brought the tread up. I texted Abe all of this, and he planned to get the kids then head my way. I was obviously in tears. He calls me maybe five minutes later to tell me he had gotten in an accident, but that everyone was okay. As if I weren't defeated enough, now I'm in pain, 45 minutes away with a bad tire and knowing my husband and kids were in an accident.

My family came through, and we all got home, but once it all settled, I received an email saying that Mia wasn't picked (what a Monday). I waited till Tuesday morning to tell her before VBS, and the disappointment on her face was heartbreaking. I gave her a minute, then went into her room and had a talk about life throwing curveballs and disappointments. I told her she could use this to work harder and become an even better player, or she could allow it to tear her down and quit, but that choice was hers. I picked her up from VBS that day, and she told me during praise and worship she realized it would all be okay and that just because she wasn't picked, it didn't mean she was any less. She was thankful for the opportunity to go to the camp, and that she was going to work harder to become even better.

Fast forward to Wednesday morning, my dad had a cardiac ablation, so I was back in Greensboro and called to tell the kids good morning before they headed off to VBS again. As I'm sitting there, a text came through that said, "Congratulations, you're invited to Barcelona." I was confused, so I hung up and checked my emails. Sure enough, there was a full invitation for Mia to go. I confirmed with them, and they said that there was more than one Mia and they had made a mistake. I called Mia back and told her. My girl was in tears. The first thing she said was, "Mama, it's because I was thankful and told God it was okay." So when I say I have to give credit where it is due, it's to Him.

Mia has been playing soccer since she was five years old. Her father and I never played and knew very little about the sport in general. We quickly realized she had talent, and she fell in love with the sport. She's played at Southside Soccer and is well known for her skill, teamwork, and positive attitude on and off the field. We absolutely love watching her play and grow each season, and I'm also known for being the loudest mom on the sidelines who can't get pictures because sitting down is impossible due to excitement.

If you know our family, you know that we have three other kids who are also into sports. Mia also does competition dance, but that's a story for another day. With that being said, we are mostly a single-income family due to Goodyear laying Abe (dad) off this year. I have been picking up many extra shifts (I'm a labor and delivery nurse), and he has been helping my father as much as possible. It's hard in general to keep it all going right now, on top of trying to get/stay out of debt.

I'm not good at asking for help, but for my kids, I'll do whatever is needed. Abe and I never would've dreamed of having an opportunity like this growing up, and honestly never would've imagined our kids would either. Yet here we are, Mia's hard work and dedication have paid off in a major way, and we are asking for you to join us in supporting her. Every little bit helps in a huge way, and we know times are hard for everyone right now, so if you cannot give, please join us in praying that the God who made this possible will provide and keep all players safe that attend.

We also teach our kids that they have to work hard for opportunities like this, so stay tuned for lemonade stands, yard sales, and any other fundraising opportunity we can come up with.