Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals FC captains Kyle Beckerman, Amy Rodriguez write letters of support to fans

Utah Royals FC forward Amy Rodriguez (8) waves to her family after a match against the Orlando Pride at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Wednesday, May 9, 2018. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

SANDY — As the second full week of sports shutdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic began, Real Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman and Utah Royals FC captain Amy Rodriguez wrote letters to fans to offer some encouragement during this challenging time and expressed how eager they are to get back to playing in front of fans at Rio Tinto Stadium when the time is right.

“It’s difficult to think about our next game still weeks away due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but I hope we can all make the most of this experience,” Beckerman wrote in part. “We have the opportunity to spend extra time with our families, reconnect with friends, and show gratitude for those in our community, like the mail carriers delivering our packages and grocery store clerks keeping food on the shelves.

But mostly to our doctors and nurses and all of the other staff working at the medical stations that are being flooded with patients. To the volunteers that are keeping food banks up and running. To everyone who has made it a part of their daily lives to combat this virus from the frontline:

We thank you.”

Noting that these people are doing their part to ensure public safety, Beckerman added, “The least we can do in return, is our part by staying at home. By staying active and fit, at home. By learning something new or reading that book that has been gathering dust on the shelf.

We will navigate these difficult times together as a community and come back stronger than before.

And when the time is right, I look forward to seeing everyone back at the RioT.”

Rodriguez wrote that, “It’s during times like these that I lean on my faith, my family and the important life lessons that soccer has taught me.”

She then shared five lessons she’s learned during her career — which has included two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup win — that she feels could be applied to this situation: Control the controllables, do your role, always strive to be better, be prepared and be a good teammate.

“I know we all miss soccer, and it is not easy to be away from something you love, but I know that this is only temporary and the more we work together, the faster we can all return to what we love,” she wrote. “I look forward to seeing all of you at the RioT.”

Major League Soccer is suspended until at least May 10, and RSL had played just two contests prior to that. The National Women’s Soccer League of which URFC is a member had just opened training camps when sports began to see mass suspensions and is in a training moratorium through at least April 5 with the start of the regular season pushed back indefinitely from the original April 18 opening date.

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