Tampa's first women's pro soccer team becoming role models for local youth athletes

TAMPA, Fla. - Dressed in cleats and their "South Tampa Gold" youth soccer league uniforms, a group of little girls talked about their big dreams as they kicked a ball around the brand-new riverfront field that the Tampa Bay Sun Football Club will now call home.

"I wanna be a professional when I grow up, so it's exciting to see them play," said 10-year-old Natalie Feltham.

While these aspiring soccer stars have grown up cheering on the Rowdies, The Sun signifies a new dawn for Champa Bay, because this top tier team is bringing women's pro sports to the area for the first time.

"I think our main excitement is just to see them play, and then picturing us playing as them," said South Tampa Gold's Lizzy Marticka.

READ: Tampa Bay Sun FC ready to make its debut

Being role models for young athletes like Lizzy is what the Sun strives for on and off the pitch.

As excited as they are about getting a 28-game season started, they've gotten a sense while out in the community, that there's a fan base who's intrigued.

"We've just kind of been talking to the fans and sharing our thoughts and stuff about the new league and the team and getting their thoughts on it, and a lot of them seem super excited," said Sun midfielder Carlee Giamonna. "We want everyone to come out to our games and kind of experience the whole journey with us."

They're not starting off by themselves.

All eight teams in the D1 USL Super League are new, paving the way for increased opportunities for talented female athletes across the country, many of whom came to wear the Sun uniform, like Alabama-born goalkeeper, Ashley Orkus.

"Growing up when I was a little kid, I always knew I wanted to play in college. I knew I wanted to play professionally, but I wasn't sure there was going to be a league available," Orkus explained. "So I think its huge, its fantastic that little kids and young girls know they have a place to play should they want to take it a step further."

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