Over the last five years, youd be hard-pressed to find a more successful Richmond soccer team than the Richmond Red Devils.
However, with all of their recent success, nothing could have prepared them for what they were in store for this year.
After being promoted to a new division, the Red Devils started off their season with three consecutive games without a win and only picked up one out of a possible nine points.
At first we were all excited to move up, and then after three games were kind of like Oh My God, what did we get ourselves into here, said Kylie Blue, one of the longest-serving members of the Red Devils. It was a feeling we werent really used to.
Then on Nov. 11, with the team still trying to put it all together, they were dropped a bomb that nobody was prepared for.
When we found out Jean had cancer again, everything changed, said Punky Oye, another long-term member.
Jean Fletcher was the team mom and manager, and had been with the team since its inception. Her presence in the Richmond Youth Soccer Association (RYSA) goes back nearly 20 years and she was a commonplace sighting every weekend at games in Richmond.
Prior to being re-diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Fletcher had spent the last year in remission since December of 2011.
We were coming off last season and feeling pretty good about Jean being in remission, said Oye.
There was that sense of encouragement, knowing that she had beaten cancer. Then, when we found out that it had come back, it really hit hard.
For the Red Devils, she was more than just a manager. She was their mentor. Their friend. Their team mom.
Upon hearing the news, they dedicated their season to Fletcher.
They wore commemorative patches on their shorts a red heart with the letter J inside.
Weve never had anything more inspiring to make us want to win, said Caitlyn Lee, the Red Devils team captain. She was our rock. As this whole process went on, we all grew so much closer together as a team.
With Fletcher in attendance for most of the games, the girls put together a run that saw them go 10 straight games without a loss and eventually qualify for the Provincial Championship.
There was definitely a before and after point in the season, and I think Mom being re-diagnosed with cancer was it, said Mark Fletcher, head coach, about his mother.
The season took on a new feel. They were playing for her. On Sundays, she was their mom, too.
On Feb. 22, Fletchers fight came to an end as she passed away from cancer at the age of 62. It was a loss felt around Richmond, especially in the soccer community. The week after she had passed away, the Red Devils clinched a berth in the Provincials with a 1-0 win.
She was a life mentor to so many of us. Our team is like a family and Jeans a big reason why, said Lee. We want to win this [Provincial Championship] so bad for her.
On April 13, the team will begin their march for a second provincial title in four years, in a season that none of them will forget.
Since 2011, the Red Devils have raised $7,350 for cancer research in Fletchers name. If youd like to contribute to their cause, contact Mark Fletcher ([email protected]).
