The Richmond Ivy is a local pre-professional women’s soccer team that is gearing up for their third season. Although they are primarily composed of collegiate players home for the summer, there are also players who are looking to play professionally, and this team is a “step up for them to help them build themselves up and hopefully get into the professional world,” according to Bree Fulkerson, a former defender for the Richmond Ivy.

   The team has evolved significantly since their inaugural season in 2024. Alexis Pierce, a three-time team member and Deep Run alumna, has been a firsthand witness to the development of the team over the last few years. 

   “We’ve definitely gained a lot of experience, and we know how things work now. During the Inaugural Season, I mean, it was awesome, but we were still figuring things out, so I think now we have a little bit more concrete knowledge and people who have experience in this environment,” Pierce said. 

   The team is coached this year by Rob Ukrop, but Fred Owusu Sekyere was the head coach during the 2025 season. Although the team is still very new, they finished with a winning record last year, a testament to the players’ coachability. 

   “During my time with them, I feel like they were very humble, respectful, and always willing to learn and adapt,” Sekyere said. 

   Because the players travel to Richmond from many different colleges and areas and only train together for a few months out of the year, the team needs to build chemistry fast. 

    “We have practice almost four days a week. Outside of practices, we would do some community service things where we would talk at City Stadium, and other people would come and listen to us speak,” Fulkerson said. 

   Fans also play an important role in the success of the team, spurred on by the team’s involvement in the local community. 

   “There’s at least 5,000 people who come to every game. And by playing soccer and involving the community in it, it’s just ten times better, and helping the community just puts a smile on everyone’s face,” Fulkerson said. 

   The area has a robust following of the men’s professional team, the Richmond Kickers, and that fan support seems to have carried over to the women’s team.

    “It just brings in so many fans, and it’s just so amazing,” Pierce said. 

   The team aspires to succeed in the USL W League as well as build up their younger players and team chemistry over the 2026 season.