For the Washington Spirit’s Ashley Hatch, motherhood ‘is truly a dream come true’
Hatch, who gave birth to her first child in January, will celebrate her first Mother’s Day as a mom on Sunday.
Ashley Hatch holds her son, Leo, for a photoshoot in the Washington Spirit's new kit on Feb. 19, 2026. Hatch gave birth to Leo, her first child, in January and is preparing to return to soccer.
| Washington Spirit Ashley Hatch sits in the backseat of her car. Her three-month old son Leo sleeps beside her in his car-seat as her husband, Jeff Van Buren, drives the trio from their West Virginia farmhouse to the home of Hatch’s teammate Casey Krueger. Baby Leo only makes a peep once before settling in for a nap.
It will be the first time Hatch meets Krueger’s baby daughter Calla, whom she gave birth to at the end of March. Hatch has relied on Krueger and fellow mom and teammate Andi Sullivan while navigating her first pregnancy and preparing to return to the pitch for the Washington Spirit. Hatch — a former No.
2 overall draft pick, an NWSL champion and a Golden Boot winner — hasn’t played for the Washington Spirit in 11 months, but she’s living out her dream. “I feel like just being a mom has been something that I’ve always wanted and hoped for and dreamed for,” she told the Deseret News. For Hatch, who will celebrate her first Mother’s Day as a mom on Sunday, motherhood “is truly a dream come true,” she said.
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