Women’s soccer team the Xenichen Ya-Ya’s has folded after playing in the women’s local winter league for 23 years.
“It was the hardest decision to make, it took us the year to decide,” team manager and coach Miranda Joe said. “When our first game came around last Sunday, Sept. 11 and only two players showed up – with two more at game time – we realized our reality. It has come to the end of our team. We all felt this day coming, and I think for the most part we didn’t want to admit it.”
Between the players who showed up and the injured players who came to watch, the Ya-Ya’s decided they could not continue this year.
“There were some tears and a few players expressed that they were a little relieved,” Joe said. “In past years we played with only enough players to field a team. We’ve played together for so long that most of us have become sisters because of the team.”
The Ya-Ya’s have had three major losses recently: the first was Rachel Pinchbeck, then Summer August and then – less than a year ago – coach Ian Dixon who coached the Ya-Ya’s for almost 20 years.
“Our team will never be the same without them,” Joe said. “We don’t want to call it the end but maybe for this year we will. Hopefully next year we can start with a freshly healed team. We will use this year to heal on the inside and the outside. At least we can go out with a smile after four years in a row of being the league champions and the year-end tournament champions.
“We want to thank the Supremes for taking on the few of our players who still wanted to get out there and play,” Joe said. “We will meet again – Source, Blazers, Mayhem, Pender and Sita’s – we will let you have this year. Smiles.”
– Submitted
