Kevin and Claire Horner might be new to the sport of soccer, but that doesn't mean they aren’t fierce supporters of the Dash.
Kevin said he and his family initially became interested in the sport when their son started playing soccer a few years ago. When the Dash won the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, the family began following the Dash more closely and fell in love with the team and the sport.
“We started going to the games and honestly got really, really into it,” Kevin said. "We realized that usually we can do this with our schedule, and we got the membership.”
Some of Claire and Kevin’s favorite things about attending Dash games is how the games can still feel very intimate and make you feel like you are more than just a fan.
Thanks to social media, Kevin and Claire say getting to see the players personalities away from the soccer field and that also makes it easier to want to support the team
“It's really easy to root for them and want to see them do well,” Kevin said.
Claire says that watching the game can be very educational for not only themselves but also their children. Their 10-year-old son plays competitive soccer and attends most home games with them and his eight-year-old sister.
“They love coming to the games and they've been coming to the games for a while,” Claire said “Especially my daughter getting to see the women play. My son is a goalkeeper, so seeing Jane Campbell make amazing saves is awesome.”
Kevin is a coach in the youth soccer community and said he once mentioned that the Horner’s were going to go to a Dash game in front of his team of seven-year-old girls and many of them were surprised to learn that there was a professional women’s soccer league in their hometown.
“For the girls who are seven and who were really into it, they realized this is something they could go do in the future,” Kevin said. “One of the girls was going to go to the Dash game and that led to this big conversation with the team about how that's a path forward for them. Professional soccer is actually out there for them.”
Kevin and Claire Horner, alongside their two kids, will be honored as the SeatGeek Members of the Match on Saturday when the Dash host OL Reign at PNC Stadium.
