Sporting Jax, the First Coast’s first-ever professional women’s soccer club, held an exclusive open practice session on Thursday, Aug. 7. This training session allowed fans to get an up-close look at how the team practices and prepares for a match.
Sporting Jax was forced to cancel two of their preseason matches against Hibernian FC on Aug. 2 due to bad weather, and against Wrexham AFC Women on Aug. 10 due to injuries for Wrexham. Club president and CEO Steve Livingstone said it was important that the club do something special for the community. “We just wanted to have a positive day for the fans after the disappointment,” he said.
Fans got a front-row seat to watch the team warm up and run several different drills, and after practice the players signed autographs and posed for pictures. Sporting Jax is excited for the opportunity to play in front of their fans, and this event helped to strengthen the bond between the club and their supporters.
“The opportunity to interact with the community where there is less pressure and not as many people provides more of an intimate setting,” said defensive star Zara Siassi. With a strong following of young fans, Siassi and her teammates see the opportunity to be role models, and they do not take it lightly. “Having them be able to come to our training session and hopefully be able to provide a good example of how to train like a professional is a really cool opportunity,” Siassi said.
Head coach Stacey Balaam is ready to get her team on the field.
“We were really disappointed the game against Hibernian got cancelled, unfortunately it was out of our control, but we were really excited to be able to play in front of the home fans and build that connection with them,” she said.
Balaam also recognizes the fact that her team already has a special place among the young soccer players on the First Coast.
“We want to be able to inspire, and I think that these ladies have a powerful role with the youth, and you can see it right here,” she said.
Sporting Jax will host their regular season home opener on Saturday, Aug. 23, against DC Power FC at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium at 7 p.m. Balaam wants to assure the community her team will be ready.
“Every game matters, and we are learning a lot through all the preseason scrimmages,” she said.
