Julieann Challacombe
They’re the player you can hear shouting all the way from the stands. The one that would rather lose their voice than let a teammate believe they weren’t the best player on the field.
They became a champion, suffered injuries and then became a champion again. Now, they’re a captain, ready to lead their team down the long road to Canton, Ohio.
Ash Beckham has been a Renegade for nine years. They recall the time they first joined with a chuckle, saying, “I remember my early journey with this team starting out young, dumb and just happy to be here.”
In their state of reminiscence, they couldn’t help but think about the people that got them to the position they’re in today. The Amanda Alperts and Allison Cahills of the world who carved a path for Beckham to start their journey in women’s football.
“The people who led me shaped the way I viewed the sport, and it’s never wavered since then,” said Beckham.
As their love for the sport grew, Beckham realized they needed this. The Renegades bred a spout of confidence, maturity and long-lasting relationships for them. They couldn’t be more happy with their decision to join almost a decade ago.
“Every single person in this locker room I would do almost anything for,” said Beckham.
It wasn’t until about three years ago, they said, that they felt called to be something more for the Renegades. Not just a leader, but a captain, so they set out to prove they could carry the responsibility of leading such an esteemed group of athletes.
“I’ve always wanted to be a person that everyone can look to and count on,” said Beckham.
“The more I fell in love with this sport and this team, the more I wanted to be that for them.”
With each passing year, they never let their name not being called affect their game. Keeping their head down and putting in the same work they always had, Beckham knew that it would only be a matter of time before their dream would become a reality.
“I’ve always held the attitude that whether or not I’m a captain, I’m going to do whatever I have to do to be on the field and make my teammates better,” said Beckham.
A few short weeks ago, the stars finally aligned, and Head Coach John Johnson announced Beckham as a 2024 captain. They felt in that moment everything had come full circle. Their teammates believed in them the same way they always did in their captains, when they were that young and dumb rookie in their twenties.
“Everything I’ve been doing paid off in that moment because I looked around at my teammates and realized they look at me the way I looked at my captains in the past,” they said.
As a Captain, Beckham wants to be the encouraging echo in their team’s head when they feel down. Except it’s not an echo, it’s Beckham telling them to push themselves. Over and over and over.
“I have so much passion and love in my heart for this team, it overflows,” said Beckham. “When I see my teammates doing their best I feel like I’m doing my best, it makes me light up.”
As time can tell, Beckham’s leadership style has proven to be effective. Repetition has served its reward in championships, and now they’ve added captain to their repertoire.
Just like they felt like this season was made for them to be captain, Beckham feels the Renegades adverse circumstances were made specifically for this year’s team.
Beckham, along with their fellow captains, are leading a young group. But as they recall their younger self, Beckham knows all it takes is being a great leader to make great teammates.
“This challenge was made for this group,” said Beckham. “We can certainly rise to the occasion.”