AYW Spotlight | Madison Saliba & Shiloh Price

RICHMOND, VA (January 26, 2017) – The ECNL and the Amazing Young Women movement is dedicated to showcasing females that have helped shape the league into the top female youth soccer development platform in the world.  As part of the movement, the ECNL is encouraging amazing young women to share their stories.  We are excited to announce Madison Saliba and Shiloh Price as the ECNL Amazing Young Woman Spotlights of the Week. Saliba and Price both concluded their senior season at the University of Oklahoma (OU) this past fall, and are TSC Hurricane (TSC) Alums.

Saliba and Price are natives of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, growing up playing club soccer for TSC ECNL before continuing their soccer careers at OU. Both women shared a similar upbringing, stepping onto the soccer field at age of four and never looking back.  Saliba and Price share a passion with the sport and using the game as a platform to share their faith.

This past fall, members of the OU soccer team began meeting for bible study.  Meetings were led by OU Alum Emily Bowman, and brought the young women closer. As the team discussed their faith and engaged in conversation, thoughts of a mission trip came about and started to take shape. The group organized a trip through Praying Pelican Missions, collecting donations for the trip by sending out letters. This past December the donations were cashed in allowing Saliba and Price, along with 12 of their OU teammates and 7 fellow students to go on a mission trip to Sébaco, Nicaragua. They embarked on a 6-day, life-changing experience.

Their mission trip is best described as a blend between vacation bible school and soccer camp. As Saliba and Price ended their soccer careers, it was important that they be able to put their religious passion into something bigger.  They wanted to teach their love of God and engage with children who shared the same passion, while using soccer as a vessel. While their mornings were spent in vacation bible school, the afternoons were spent playing soccer with the children.

“Along with their firm roots in faith, the kids had a passion for soccer. They were grateful to have a ball at their feet, and to just play. We played on a dirt field, and it really opened my eyes to the opportunities I was granted growing up,” said Saliba. “We would play for hours sometimes not even saying a word. It was unbelievable to live in that moment.”

Through this humbling experience, they had different takeaways and favorite moments. Saliba will never forget the special bonds formed with the children.  Something she will  always cherish. Price’s most memorable moment was an emotional one.  It involved a visit to the dump, delivering water and fruit to those picking through the trash to find things to sell for a living. Price reflected on her personal upbringing and all of the things she had at her disposal throughout her childhood.

“This made me understand how authentic and pure their love for soccer really was. It didn’t matter if they had shoes, shinguards or matching jerseys.  They found a way to keep coming back each day with a smile on their face, and of course lots of energy!” said Price. “They never made excuses because their desire to play beat out any obstacle they were facing. It was their time to get away and enjoy being a kid.”

The people and children of Nicaragua made a long-lasting impression on both women. Saliba and Price are grateful that soccer gave them a platform on which they could positively impact others through the sport that brought them so much, and talk about their faith which brought them there.

It was not all work, not play for the two ambassadors.  On the last day of their mission, they were able to explore the city of León where they went volcano boarding and spent the evening at the beach.  It was imperative that they take in as much of the country’s beauty as possible before their departure.

“I’m so proud of Madi and Shiloh for giving back to the game they love. They have an enormous calling on their life to make a difference in their passion for soccer and their love for the Lord,” said Kerry Shubert, the ECNL Director for TSC Hurricane. “I couldn’t be more proud to see these young women grow up and make an impact on people’s lives.”

We wish Madison Saliba and Shiloh Price the best of luck with their final semester of college, as they each embark on the next phase of life.  Price plans on attending nursing school, while Saliba will enroll in radiation therapy school. Thank you for being Amazing Young Women and making an impact of people’s lives around the world.

To learn more about Saliba and Price’s journey, please browse the gallery below courtesy of Kyle Smith.

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About Amazing Young Women^TM:  Launched by the ECNL, the Amazing Young Women is a dynamic platform of online and local market activations that showcase and celebrate female role models offering an aspirational focus for all female athletes and teens as they prepare to be our next generation of leaders.  The ECNL is calling on all of the nation’s women to join the movement to celebrate the endless potential of today’s girls.

Women of all ages can share their personal moments of inspiration through social media and at www.AmazingYoungWomen.com.  Every share and submission helps drive a movement that celebrates the power of what it is to be a girl today.

Amazing Young Women of the ECNL will be showcased at AmazingYoungWomen.com. Through testimonials, tips and tools, the website is providing all girls to view, share, and celebrate what it is to be motivated, strong, and successful.

About Elite Clubs National League:  The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States through: (i) improving the competitive environment through creation of a true national competitive league; (ii) improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players for college and youth national teams through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competitions; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at top female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs.  The ECNL is sanctioned by US Club Soccer and is sponsored by Nike Soccer.

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