At Liberty, athletics are more than an outlet for competition; they are a ministry. And for the Lady Flames Soccer team, this mission to share God’s love does not end in defeat.
Following Liberty’s heartbreaking shootout loss in the Big South Conference Championship to High Point University, the Lady Flames found a way to encourage the team that stopped Liberty’s chances at an NCAA Tournament appearance.
The idea was born on the bus ride home from High Point after the game, when a player approached Jessica Hain, head women’s soccer coach, asking her if it would be possible for the team to make notecards for each High Point player before the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Lady Flames have a custom of handing notes of encouragement to their opponents, but wanted to go a step beyond and reach out to their conference rivals as they prepared for the next level of play.
When the selection show revealed that High Point would travel to the University of Virginia, an hour north of Liberty in Charlottesville, the team invited High Point to stop by Liberty’s campus to pick up a care package. When the team arrived, they were overwhelmed by the gesture of care and encouragement.
“I will never forget the look on the High Point players’ and coaches’ faces: a combination of awe and thankfulness and wonder,” Hain said. “These student-athletes have demonstrated an act of love that I never could have imagined. What a profound and humble moment — one that I will never forget.”
