Quinn Lia named CFC Youth October Athlete of the Month

His mother, Amber, shared more about Quinn on and off the field.

“Quinn has been playing soccer since he could walk. He has tried other sports and has been a multi-sport athlete over the years, but soccer has always been different for him. He truly eats, sleeps and breathes the game. He loves studying it, playing it and finding ways to become better.

“As a mom of four sons, one of the things I have always found especially unique about Quinn is his emotional steadiness. He has an unusual ability to keep a sound mind and think clearly when the pressure is on. He has always been mature beyond his years when it comes to facing challenges. It isn’t that he doesn’t feel disappointment or frustration—he does—but he has learned how to channel those emotions in a way that helps him move forward and, especially on the soccer field, helps his team. When something is difficult, his instinct is usually to figure out what he can do about it rather than dwell on what went wrong.

“That same drive carries over into the classroom. Quinn has always been a straight-A student who works incredibly hard academically, but what I appreciate most is that he genuinely wants to learn. I have never had to tell him to get his schoolwork done. When he was younger, we actually had a meeting with his teachers because he was consistently working ahead of the class and then becoming bored waiting for everyone else to catch up! Whatever Quinn does, he tends to do wholeheartedly."

Amber continued: “Quinn has been a member of the National Junior Honor Society, Beta Club, and has taken on leadership roles in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Turning Point USA. He has traveled to conferences around the country, sought out opportunities to grow as a leader, and has also been a leader within his high school soccer program. And if that isn't enough to keep him busy, Quinn has worked at Chick-fil-A for the last few years but has an innate entrepreneurial spirit and has a successful handyman business where he does landscape, gutters, windows and more and he has been very successful!

“One of our favorite things to say when we watch Quinn play is that he runs like a gazelle. There is a freedom and joy in the way he plays that really reflects who he is off the field, too. Quinn loves to have fun. He laughs easily, enjoys people and has a great balance between working hard and enjoying life.

“Maybe what makes me proudest, though, is that his ambition isn’t only about himself. Quinn holds a very high standard for his own performance, but he doesn’t have to diminish someone else in order to succeed. He genuinely wants the people around him to do well. He encourages his teammates, wants them to become better and understands that their success contributes to his own.

“He is competitive, but he is also a team player. He is driven, but joyful. He is confident, but willing to learn. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the soccer field or in leadership, Quinn has always been someone who gives his whole heart to what is in front of him. I love that about him, and I’m incredibly proud of the young man he is becoming.”

Everyone at Chattanooga Football Club celebrates Quinn and the outstanding example he is setting on and off the field.