There were coaches, soldiers, boys, girls, high school players and elite-level club standouts, Under-15 through U-17 ages, and even a few intrigued parents in attendance at the one-day clinic hosted by the Fredericksburg Area Soccer Association and the National Guard at FASA Park on Sunday.
But one attribute they all shared was pride and devotion to the event's special guests, Ali Krieger and Megan Rapinoe.
The two U.S. Women's National Team stars, Olympic gold medal winners and National Women's Soccer League standouts graced the event at the National Guard's invitation, adding a bit of celebrity sizzle to the part-time military force's latest initiative in its growing relationship with youth soccer.
With coaches from FASA and nearby University of Mary Washington leading two sessions' worth of drills, small-sided games and scrimmages, Rapinoe and Krieger mingled among their younger counterparts for several hours, providing advice, photo opportunities, autographs and words of encouragement for the more than 100 participants.