PRESS RELEASE – For over a decade, Grace Perez attended her children’s soccer games, cheered them on, and ecstatically yelled when they scored goals.

Now, on the other side of the fence, with the Sidekick SC Sirenas in the award-winning Guam Football Association Soccer Moms League, scoring her first goal added to her love for the sport.

“I’ve seen my kids score goals and it always made me so happy, but to actually score one yourself – it’s just phenomenal, it’s a great feeling, the rush is so exciting,” Perez said. “When your team scores a goal, it really changes the dynamic of the team – for me, I was motivated to run faster and looked for more opportunities to score.

“Overall, though, soccer is a lot harder than it looks. It’s a lot of work to get to the goal, but it’s fun – I find the sport really fun. Playing in this league, I also learn more about the sport,” the Piti resident added.

Perez’s goal on Sunday, off an assist from teammate Naomi Sablan, was the first she had ever scored she said, and it might not have happened if one of her daughters, Roben Morellano, who plays for the Sidekick SC and was part of the Mini Masakåda, Guam U14 Girls National team, didn’t continue to motivate her to join the league.

The Quality Distributors Dragonfly and the Islanders Apaka play in a Week 4 match of the Guam Football Association Soccer Moms League at the GFA National Training Center.

She finally joined the league with the Sidekick SC Sirenas, one of a handful of new teams in the league this season.

The Sidekick SC played the Wings Momdeshiko Sunday, a team made up of mostly mothers of youth players in the Wings FC. Also playing in Week 4 matches were the Quality Distributors Dragonfly against the Islanders Apaka, Crush Her against the Wolverines Femme Fatale, the Queen Cobras against the Dededo Divas, the Heat Wave against the Lady Bombers, the Tumon Pika Moms against the Islanders Betde, and Team United playing against the Supersonics.

The GFA Soccer Moms League recently was awarded the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports’ Innovative Fitness/Sports Project of the Year in an awards banquet Wednesday evening. On hand to receive the award were representatives from teams in the league, as well as GFA representatives. Since the league’s inception exactly one year ago, the league has grown from eight teams to 14 teams this season.

Teams have two more weeks of play left this season beginning Sunday. Crush Her will play the Tumon Pika Moms and the Wolverines Femme Fatale will play against Team United, both matches at 4:15 p.m. on United Airlines Field 2. Wings Momdeshiko will face the Supersonics at 4:30 p.m. on United Airlines Field 3. The Lady Bombers will play against Quality Dragonfly and the Islanders Apaka play against the Queen Cobras, both matches at 5:15 p.m. on United Airlines Field 2. The final round of the day will kick off at 6:15 p.m. with matches between the Islanders Betde and the Sidekick SC Sirenas, and the Heat Wave against the Dededo Divas on United Airlines Field 2.

A full schedule is available online at http://www.guamfa.com/all-leagues-womens-7-a-side-results

PHOTO GALLERY:

The Guam Football Association Soccer Moms League recently was recognized by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports as the Innovative Fitness/Sports Project of the Year at an awards banquet at the Westin Resort Guam. In the front row of the photo, from left to right, are the Wolverines Femme Fatale’s Annette Roberto, the Supersonics’ Jean Arroyo, the Dededo Divas Kelley Barnhart, the Islanders’ Jean Cepeda, GFA Executive Director and Director of Women’s Football Cheri Stewart, GFA Women’s Administrator Grace Martinez, the Heat Wave’s Tina Esteves, Quality Distributors Dragonfly’s Michelle Nadler, Sidekick SC Sirenas’ Kyla Aquino, and Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports’ Renee Veksler. In the back row are the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports’ Bill Bennett and Patrick Wolff.

Team United and the Supersonics play in a Week 4 match of the Guam Football Association Soccer Moms League at the GFA National Training Center.

The Islanders Betde’s Natasha San Gil prepares to pass the ball to a teammate around the Tumon Pika Moms defense in a Week 4 match of the Guam Football Association Soccer Moms League at the GFA National Training Center.

The Heat Wave and the Lady Bombers play in a Week 4 match of the Guam Football Association Soccer Moms League at the GFA National Training Center.

The Sidekick SC Sirenas’ Grace Perez attempts to make a move toward the goal around the defense of Wings Momdeshiko’s Yoshie Cramer in a Week 4 match of the Guam Football Association Soccer Moms League at the GFA National Training Center.

The Dededo Divas’ Kelley Barnhart looks to pass the ball against the Queen Cobras in a Week 4 match of the Guam Football Association Soccer Moms League at the GFA National Training Center.