From the very start as a six year-old lad, 'till now as a 34 year-old man she has been an ever present figure.

From youth soccer to the professional ranks, she has attended every single game possible. If it wasn’t home, she’d make sure to stream it. Before each game, and after each game, I receive a text from her wishing me luck and saying how I played afterwards. If she thinks I could’ve played better it’s a quick, “you’ll bounce back next one.” If it’s a match that she approves of my play it’s filled with exclamation marks and something along the lines of “you guys rocked.”

She says good luck in a text and watches every game. Her wisdom never changes: “play hard and have fun, that’s the aim.” My favorite memory is the Georgetown senior ball. Never seen so much fun, dancing and singing off the wall

Speaking of songs, there’s one in particular that rings a bell. "Note to Self" by Ben Rector reminds me of the things my mom does well. This year, I hope to give her a really special gift. If she didn’t show me how to care for others, this would be difficult, catch my drift?

My Mom, for me, is my foundation. She has picked me up when I’ve fallen and supported me as I’ve risen. She supported me at that first practice when I was just four years old, drove me to every game and tournament before I could drive myself, found a way to attend almost every game, both home and away while I was in college despite being the mother of five kids, and still to this day, finds a way to come and support me during my professional career.

The rock of the family, and the one who I care most about making proud, my mom. Growing up she was and still is my number one fan. She is the driving force to my “WHY” in life. She’s the one I go to when I need an opinion on a serious career move or just want to talk about how one another’s day has been. She has instilled passion, determination, and empathy towards others all traits that I rely heavily on in day-to-day life.

I started playing soccer because of my mom. she played "back in the day," and I learned the game from her. She would drive me around to practice, and go the extra mile for me to get me where I am. She taught me to spend an hour the night before a game looking at the opponent, watching tapes, studying them, to get the right mentality for the game.

The good luck text before every game, and the positive support after the game, win or lose, really helped me grow confidence as a player. Growing up, I can remember practicing on the beach and my mom would bring me food and stick around to help teach me what I needed to work on. Before I moved to the U.S. for college, all my practice, fitness and workout plans were built by my mom to get me to shape I needed to be in.

My mother and I have always been very close, even when I have been away from her and in another country. We are very thankful for FaceTime so we can still see each other. She used to say that I will always be her baby which she got from the Mariah Carey song that she used to sing to me whilst she was pregnant. The best advice that my mother has ever gave me would be; “it’s very hard to beat someone that never gives up”. She told me that when I was young, and I didn't really understand it at first. As I've grown up, I now understand exactly what she means, and she still tells me it to this day.

I am the second oldest of 11 children! I grew up with seven brothers and three sisters in Pembroke, Mass. About every 1.5 years I would come into my class at school with a box of chocolate cigars (either blue or pink) and say, “I have another brother (or sister)!!!” Growing up in a relatively large family was normal to me since that is all I knew. There was always something going on and someone to play with.

My mother epitomized what a loving and supportive parent is. She kickstarted my love for soccer. It was her who bought my first cleats, always was willing to take me to practice and encouraged me to play pick-up in the street with friends. In the summers, I would leave home in the mornings and not return until dinnertime. As long as she knew I was playing soccer she was perfectly fine with it. That type of freedom allowed me to grow as a young player.

That’s where I truly learnt about the game, the streets.

Whether it was buying me the best equipment, or driving me during the week to training, or traveling all around the country for tournaments, she was there for me. She allowed me to leave home at age 15 to the U.S. Soccer Residency Program in order to chase my dream, even though that meant being away from my family.

I’m forever grateful to have such a wonderful person in my corner every step of the way. Even when I’ve been across the country she’s been there cheering me on. Her support, her advice and her love have been one of the few constants in my life as a goalkeeper. When soccer becomes a roller coaster of emotion; she always knows when to interject and bring me back to even-keel. So, with that, I don’t think I could have gotten this far without you mom. You’ve been my rock during this crazy soccer career of mine and for that, I can’t tell you how thankful I am.

I love you and I hope you have a great Mother’s Day!