Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Welcome! We hope that you enjoy our free content.
Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
Thank you for signing in! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
Please purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.
Cloudy. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. High 76F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..
Overcast with rain showers at times. Low 56F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Updated: May 9, 2024 @ 2:59 pm
While the moms play soccer, their kids have play time together.
Area moms play pickup soccer at Rady Park as part of an informal gathering that has grown into a weekly event.
Moms play soccer in Manassas, where outings typically attract more than 20 women.
Four of the first women who were part of the moms’ pickup soccer league organized by Tara Gollem of Warrenton.
While the moms play soccer, their kids have play time together.
Less than two years ago, Tara Gollem organized the first-ever gathering of a Warrenton women’s pickup soccer group. It was a sunny afternoon in September 2022, and Gollem had her 8-month-old son on her hip as she kicked a soccer ball around Rady Park with three other moms, each also with a baby or toddler in tow.
“My goal was to start a pickup league,” said Gollem, who has been playing soccer since she was a child. “I had lived in Amman, Jordan, where I was part of a women’s pickup league, and as I was getting ready to move to Virginia, I kept saying, ‘if they don’t have a women’s soccer group, I’m bringing one to Warrenton.’”
After her third son was born, she saw on a local mom’s online group that another mom had posted: “I’m going to kick a ball around; does anyone want to join?”
Gollem responded: “Heck, yes.”
Area moms play pickup soccer at Rady Park as part of an informal gathering that has grown into a weekly event.
That started a messaging chain and the first meetup. If six or more women were in attendance, they would square off for games. If there were fewer than six, Gollem would go home and get to work recruiting more women for the group on the moms’ group page and on social media.
“I played every single week from that very first meeting with four people and built up the group,” Gollem said. “I contacted every woman who expressed interest in the moms’ group. By the end of 2022, there were 80 people in the WhatsApp group.”
The group meets on Thursdays. They’ve played at Rady Park, the indoor location of Northern Piedmont Sports Club and even Gollem’s backyard. These days, they mostly play at Rady Park, unless bad weather forces them indoors at Northern Piedmont Sports Club.
Four of the first women who were part of the moms’ pickup soccer league organized by Tara Gollem of Warrenton.
The group has expanded exponentially since September 2022. There are now 128 people in Gollem’s messaging group, with a rotation of 14 to 16 women consistently showing up each week.
Any woman who is at least 18 years old is welcome to play with the group. There are both experienced players and women who are brand new to the game.
“This is a group for women by women,” Gollem said. “I take it seriously, and I want women to come play with me. There are always people who show up, and it’s their first time.”
The idea has now spread to neighboring Prince William County.
One member of Gollem’s Warrenton group, Alex Ball, insisted that they start a similar soccer meetup for women in Manassas.
“The Manassas group exploded like a ball shooting out of a cannon when I started posting about it,” Ball said. “I knew it would gain momentum in Manassas because I grew up there, and I know that it is a very big, diverse soccer community.”
The Manassas women’s pickup soccer group quickly eclipsed Gollem’s expectations. It started in March, and there are now 104 women on Gollem’s Manassas message group. Plenty of players regularly show up at Rosemount-Lewis Park every Wednesday.
“The first week, more than 20 women showed up,” Gollem recalled. “It blew my mind because I will never forget how the first week we started in Warrenton, there were just those four moms. Today, both the Fauquier and Manassas groups are growing by the day.”
Moms play soccer in Manassas, where outings typically attract more than 20 women.
Gollem said these are important groups because women don’t have a lot of other opportunities to play exclusively with other women.
“There are coed leagues where you can play, but nothing like this,” she said. “It’s not about being competitive. It’s about getting back on the field if you haven’t touched the ball in a while. It’s about women doing something for themselves.”
Ball said the groups are about so much more than bringing competition on the soccer field.
“We are so big on cheering everyone — retired soccer players who had hung up their cleats and are now wearing their mom shoes as well as people brand new to the game,” Ball said. “It’s all about feeling good about yourself.”
The Manassas group meets every Wednesday, year-round, for an hour starting at 6:15 p.m. at Rosemont-Lewis Park. Gollem is currently searching for indoor options for when the weather is unsuitable for outdoor play.
The Fauquier group meets every Thursday, year-round starting at 6 p.m. at Rady Park. When the weather calls for indoor play, the group meets at Northern Piedmont Sports Club.
To learn more or become a part of this group, contact Tara Gollem at motherofdragsons@gmail.com.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sign up to receive breaking news alerts.
Your comment has been submitted.
Reported
There was a problem reporting this.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Stay up-to-date on the best stories about life in Prince William County with The JAM – Your News In Just A Minute newsletter.
Stay locally informed your way. Digital and Print Subscription memberships available.
The future of Prince William Times now depends on community support. Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement.
Keeping you connected to the Community. Find or Submit your local event here..
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
