KTRV Fox 12 Soccer Stars Host Free Clinic
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Eagle, Idaho -- Soccer pros Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain scored big in Eagle on Saturday.
They were on hand to celebrate the opening of an academy bearing their name, but the soccer players also wanted to teach local kids a thing or two about the sport that made them famous.
Thousands of soccer fans packed a field at the Legacy subdivision off Floating Feather Road as World Cup champions, and Olympic gold medallists, Hamm and Chastain took to the turf to help young players improve their game.
Chris Larsen, Legacy's first official homeowner, said, "They were just really friendly, great with the kids. It was a great clinic out here."
The free clinic was put on to celebrate the opening of a one-of-a-kind academy, which is part of the planned Legacy Lifesport community.
"This is the nation's first Mia Hamm-Brandi Chastain-Julie Foudy Soccer Academy," says Legacy development partner Todd Santiago.
Hamm says she's thrilled with the idea of bringing athletic activities literally to people's front doors.
"It's important to me to be able to give them an opportunity to have access to facilities like this," said Hamm.
Soccer coach and dad Ron Townsend was excited for his three daughters to personally learn new skills from the two stars.
"I think it's a great thing," said Townsend. "What they're doing for the athletic community, and kind of getting the kids active and into sports, that's what we do. We keep them active and out of trouble."
Townsend's daughter, Mannie, says she learned some new tricks from Hamm and Chastain, but it wasn't necessarily just kids hanging with the pros. Organizers say they had over 1,000 children show up for the clinic. The event was open to anyone and everyone who wanted to step onto the field.
"I think you'll probably see toddlers up to high school soccer players and a few dads that were probably reliving their glory days," said Santiago.
Legacy developers say they plan on hosting public events like the clinic each time a new Signature sports academy opens in the community, meaning you could see appearances from a couple more pro athletes before the end of the year.
