How National Soccer Hall of Fame inductees choose their presenters: ‘I didn’t do this on my own’
Great careers rarely end in a single, cinematic moment. More often, they taper off quietly, the recognition arriving years later. Induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame is one of those rare full-circle moments.
It is also a chance to choose who tells your story. This year, two former U. S.
women’s national team stars Tobin Heath and Heather O’Reilly, will take their place among the game’s greats in a ceremony on May 1 in Frisco, Texas. Like all inductees past and present, they have selected someone special to introduce them at the annual ceremony. The decision is not one players take lightly when making a choice between family members, mentors and friends.
For O’Reilly, that person is Gotham FC general manager Yael Averbuch West. “I have a lot of wonderful teammates and coaches, but at the end of the day, I really wanted a teammate to present me,” O’Reilly said. “I have prided myself for so many years on being a good teammate.
Obviously, people can have different interpretations of what that means, but that was just a trait that I tried to bring to every single team that I’ve been part of. ” O’Reilly and Averbuch West both grew up in New Jersey, born a year apart, and developed a relationship that was competitive and close. “For whatever reason, it was decided she would move up to the ’85 age group at ODP (Olympic Development Program).
Continue to the original source for the full article.