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Dear Spirit Family,
On Fan Appreciation Night, we thought it would be a worthwhile occasion to stop and reflect upon what this fan base means to us. As the three longest tenured active Spirit players, we have witnessed the extraordinary change and evolution of this team, organization, and fan base right before our eyes. What the Spirit means to us — and likely what the Spirit means to you — has dramatically changed in our six years since coming to the District, nearly all for the better.
In 2018, when we all joined the Spirit within a one week span, we were young, fresh in our careers (in Andi’s case, just a rookie), and hungry to grow as professionals. What a dream it is that all these years later, we are still here, together, competing and winning championships along the way. The craziest part is that so many of you have been right at our sides the entire time. To think that many of the same fans that braved the elements at the SoccerPlex in our first season together now sit comfortably at the fortress that is Audi Field is beyond inspiring to us. At the same time, it makes total sense because we knew the Spirit was (and still is) home to the best fans in the world, and we knew that this was a team worthy of the support you have given us.
The same sentiment is true of every single new fan that has come to a Spirit game over the years, particularly this season where we’ve watched this fanbase explode in numbers. We’ve felt your impact. Audi is packed, full of energy, and we are setting new attendance records left and right. You’ve made it clear: The bar is being raised. Much like us players, you have made it your mission to be standard bearers. Together, we can work together to continue to live up to our evolutionary owner Michele Kang’s mission to be the preeminent sports organization in the world.
How can we do this? Pack the supporter section — its constant hum is the lifeblood of our home games. Come to games — whether it is your first game or your 100th game. And be ROWDY — live up to the Rowdy at Audi nickname and make this the best home field advantage in the NWSL.
As for us, this season has brought tremendous excitement with the introduction of several new teammates and coaches that have integrated so easily to the team and helped cultivate a strong culture where we can all thrive. Hopefully many of those new faces, like us, will have the chance to sit and reflect on what it means to be with such a special team for so long. This team has grown so much from the first game of the season to this final home game. We have set records, won thrilling matches, and witnessed spectacular individual performances. Above all, we did it together as a team. Along the way, we hope this team holds as special of a place in your heart as it does for us.
Don’t get it twisted, we understand the mission: Win it all. We are in a position to host one or more playoff games and bring playoff soccer to Audi Field. We are keenly focused on finishing this regular season out strong to make that a reality, but if we look ahead, one thing is true — we will continue to feed off of your support to carry us to this ultimate goal. Winning a championship and fan support are not mutually exclusive. We have to accomplish this thing together.
We will leave you with this. For two of us (Aubrey and Ashley), DC was far from home and our families, but over time, our roots became firmly settled right here. This is our home. And one of the greatest joys of calling this area home is that we are a part of such an amazing community of people who are just as passionate about the things we value most. You, the fans, have made our time with the Spirit one of the most special things we could’ve asked for, and for that, we are forever grateful!
– Andi Sullivan, Aubrey Kingsbury, and Ashley Hatch
