A collection of perspectives, memories and moments that exemplify community for the Richmond Kickers
RICHMOND, Va. — If you stand in the Steve and Sara Bayard Community Kitchen in Richmond’s FeedMore location long enough, you’ll hear a symphony.
It’s not the type of symphony that starts with the groan of a cello or the slam of the timpani drum. There’s no choir of voices accompanying a host of musicians. You won’t even hear the harmonies of a viola, or the plucking of a harp.
In this orchestra, it’s the sound of laughter serving as the cello; the chopping of knives as a de-facto metronome; the shuffling of feet as the plucky harp. Rolling carts stacked with freshly made food make a noise like a timpani drum, and the conductor wears a chef coat.
The Richmond Kickers – joined by front office staff, coaches, managers and supporters – found a voice in the music this past Thursday in what can only be described as an ensemble of togetherness. Adorned with aprons, gloves and hair nets, the team stepped off the pitch and into the kitchen, preparing ingredients, organizing canned goods and leaving the space better than they found it.
It was one of many moments that truly demonstrates what the Kickers have been built upon for over three decades: Community.
For Rob Ukrop, CEO and Chairman of the Richmond Kickers, community has been at the forefront of every decision and every moment in the team’s history.
“We’ve always been community based,” said Ukrop. “That’s in our core DNA. Whether we’ve been at soccer clinics over the years, whether it’s going to schools…the amount of lives that the Richmond Kickers’ players and staff have been in front of to tell our story and share the story of Richmond…it’s been going on since 1993.”
Ukrop was one of the first players on the Kickers when the team began over three decades ago. The effort to start a team was inherently community driven, seeing as many of the players who debuted in the inaugural season were from the Commonwealth.
“[For] Richmond, this is a significant community to them…one that watches and loves their soccer,” said Ukrop. “It’s a soccer community and I think they pride themselves on seeing people that are reflected in the community that live here.”
The same message echoes around historic City Stadium’s bleachers when looking at the present day. Players on the 2026 roster – seven of which are from the state of Virginia – have come to appreciate the uniqueness and diversity that defines the Richmond community.
For Dakota Barnathan, who is playing his fifth professional season in Richmond, his love for the city first began as a student at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) from 2012-17. Barnathan now serves as the longest tenured player on the present day roster.
“Being here for eight, nine years, this has really become a second home for me,” said Barnathan, who has appeared in 20 matches (18 starts) this season. “I love the city, the food, playing at City Stadium…there’s no better place in the league.”
Being at home in Richmond isn’t a new feeling for 21-year-old defender Beckett Howell, who was born and raised in the area. Key moments over his tenure as a Richmond Kicker have reminded him not only of his purpose with the sport, but how the community’s choice to support soccer at the local level reaffirms that purpose.
“I grew up in the game, so I don’t think I realized how awesome it is,” said Howell. “You’re all down on the field and you have Richmonders all around you cheering you on because they care. A lot of communities celebrate one thing and this [soccer] is something they choose to celebrate.”
Outside of the front office and the pitch, the idea of community continues to represent the heartbeat and soul of the Richmond area. Carter Yeisley’s own version of community – one that has fostered countless relationships between the people of Richmond and the players on both the Richmond Kickers and Richmond Ivy – has allowed soccer to become not only the world’s game, but everyone’s game.
Yeisley serves as the director of RVAccess, a cost-free program that offers children and young adults with disabilities the opportunity to play soccer. Lessons are specifically tailored to the needs of each participant, and a “buddy” – oftentimes a volunteer from the Richmond area – will work side-by-side with a player for a “fun, challenging and exciting way for athletes of all abilities to play the game they love,” says the website.
Yeisley founded RVAccess over a decade ago in 2013, partnering with the Hazelton family in memory of the light and joy their daughter, Gracie, brought before her premature passing. Since founding the group, RVAccess has enjoyed 13 prosperous years – and the organization has no plans of slowing down.
“I think people with disabilities are more out [in Richmond]. They’re in the community, they’re being recognized more, they’re accepted and welcomed…they are valued,” said Yeisley, speaking to the positive effects of a group like RVAccess. “I’ve seen it grow and I’ve seen, just in our group, these kids be so successful in school and go get jobs and be such a big part of the community. We get to be a small part of their growth.”
Serving as director of RVAccess has given Yeisley an innumerable amount of memories. The program itself, however, reminds the former soccer player of what sports truly mean in a much broader context.
“RVAccess reminds me of what the point of sports is… what the good parts are. I get emotional talking about it,” said Yeisley. “They’re just the bright part of my week. They remind me of all that’s good in the world…from the athletes and the buddies, there’s so many positives. It’s the good part of sports…the winning part doesn’t matter.”
Fans at City Stadium can often find the participants of the RVAccess program walking in tandem with either professional club at the beginning of home games. It’s a moment that speaks to the larger importance of forming relationships that are not surface level, but are truly impactful, says Yeisley.
“I just love that we are filling a need in the community and we are also valued in the community,” said Yeisley, in reference to what the group has provided for Richmond. “We can walk out with the Richmond Kickers and yes, it is a photo opportunity, but the professional guys usually know our athletes. They’ve been to our sessions…they support each other.”
RVAccess participants can often be found on the pitch at City Stadium practicing and engaging with Buddies and staff of the program.
Jessica Hendricks often finds herself at the helm of those photo opportunities. Hendricks, who started working with the Kickers in 2017, has become the club’s primary photographer and can be seen shooting everything from home games, media days and team events.
The most consistent part of her work? Representing the Richmond community – and what the Kickers mean to her – through her camera lens.
“Photos tell a story. It’s almost more powerful because you don’t hear the audio…you don’t see the movements,” said Hendricks. A photo can feel so much bigger sometimes because you look at the crowd, look at the facial expression…it’s that one frozen second in time and it can say so much.”
Hendricks is a mother of two boys who both started playing soccer at an early age. When both of her boys eventually became goalkeepers, the photographer bought a camera. The rest is history.
“My town didn’t have soccer growing up, so it was really cool to watch,” said Hendricks. “When they moved to travel and they both decided to be goalkeepers, I got a camera. I had no idea it would lead to a whole new career and having a second family at the Kickers.”
While Hendricks’ two children are now out of the house, serving as a longstanding team photographer has allowed the Richmond business owner to become a “team mom” of sorts to the Kickers’ players. Hendricks has housed players on loans with the team, is a walking almanac for the best spots in the Richmond area, and has even gone as far as photographing player proposals. Her role as team mom heavily influences the goal and inspiration behind her photography.
“A lot of the pictures that I take, I take knowing that their family is going to enjoy them,” said Hendricks, explaining her mentality behind capturing photos of Kickers players. “It’s not always the best action shot, but it’s team moments and them smiling and something that they can show their parents and their moms will treasure. It’s always how my photography has leaned. It’s what’s happening within the game, within the team.”
Hendricks, who began shooting games for the Kickers in 2017, has become a consistent presence at every match at City Stadium.
The same intention can be found in the work of Nick Davis, whose partnership with soccer creative agency Easy Friday Co., which is owned by Richmond local Alex Kocher, helped usher in the most recent Kickers rebrand. Working on the shoot for both the “Give me Liberty” and “Crossing” kits – both of which are worn regularly during Kickers home and away games – was an effort that blended technicality, passion, and above all, elements of the community in Richmond.
“The work Alex [Kocher] and I did bridged a little bit of an interest gap because it was really compelling work…[for] people that maybe are soccer-adjacent fans or people that are maybe a little bit more in the fashion and the history of Richmond,” said Davis. “For me, photography…the hope and the goal is to do that. I want to do work that moves the needle in communities.”
At this past Thursday’s FeedMore event alone, the Richmond Kickers organization was responsible for the preparation of over 2,000 meals and a complete reset of the food bank’s agency store. It’s an effort that, for senior manager of volunteer services Diana Gomez, speaks to the way the Kickers have rallied around the community for over 30 years.
“It’s so great to be able to partner with a community staple, a well-loved local sports team, to be able to kind of have this strong tie in the community,” said Gomez. “…To know that you guys and us are all aligned on the same mission, which is helping our neighbors.”
Assorted players from the Richmond Kickers were responsible for packaging, preparing and organizating various meals for the Richmond community.
