The stadium was packed. Maya had played in big games before, but nothing like this. News vans lined the parking lot. Photographers crowded the sidelines. The stands were full an hour before kickoff.
All here to see the girl on the boys' team.
Maya tried to focus on warm-ups, but the cameras followed her every move. Every touch, every drill, captured from multiple angles.
"Ignore them," Ethan said, passing her the ball. "They're not here. It's just us."
Easy for him to say. He wasn't the spectacle.
The team ran through drills, passing patterns, shooting practice. Coach kept them moving, no time to dwell on the attention.
"Five minutes to kickoff," Coach called. "Bring it in."
They gathered in a tight circle. Coach looked at each player. "Today's about more than soccer. Today's about proving we're a team. That we worked through our issues and came out stronger."
