PAYSL and Pflugerville FC recently lost a beloved member of our community, Linieda Ruiz. Linieda was just 7 years old when she started with PAYSL and played many years with us, beginning with Rec to Academy and finally to Select, where she played until she was 15 years old. On the field, she was humble, hardworking, and inspiring and was adored by both coaches and teammates. She played forward for the 2005G Green team and was often noticed by the opposing team and their coaches for her phenomenal skills. However, she wasn’t just an incredible soccer player, she was also a wonderfully kind person. Her former PFC coach, Glenn Kewley, remarked, “She would always say hello and ask me how I was and always make sure to say bye at the end of a game or practice. She genuinely cared…the best word to sum her up was her kindness. She was always kind.”

Below is his tribute to her:

I was going through old pictures and videos of Linieda this week, which I imagine lots of you have done also. I somehow came across an email from 2015. It was my first real memory of seeing her play. Linieda had attended a Select observation and I was one of the observers. The notes from the observation read, “Linieda is brilliant, she goes past players with ease. She is aggressive and gets in good positions.” A couple of years later, I had taken over her team and I really gotten to see how brilliant she was and how hard she works in practice. But more importantly, what a great kid she was to have. She was infectious.

I remember if she was ever late to practice you would see her running along with a ball in one hand, a water bottle in the other, sprinting into practice. I would say to the rest of the girls, “If you’re late its ok, but when you get here please be like Linieda. Get here fast!” Her thoughts were, “Get me on that pitch now!” She was soccer mad and had incredible enthusiasm to play.

We found a video from about 2018 of her playing. In the clip she’s down the left wing, she runs past a player with a piece of skill. She's really wide and she takes this shot that just doesn't look possible…she hits it right across the goal in the corner of the goal, like the side netting of the goal. You know, the part of the goal that goalies don't save? That part of the goal. Unbelievable! The best thing was everyone’s reaction - the gasps, the wows, the sound of “how did she do that??”

Another time we were playing down in San Antonio at State Championships. We were losing 1-0, not long left, and Linieda has picked the ball up, drove down the right wing, and just put this wonder shot in from like 30 yards. Everyone had just gone mad [and she received the] same reaction, “how did she do that?” I remember just shouting at her, “Linieda, you’re a genius!”

This was the norm. She had skills for days and would make defenders look ridiculous on a regular basis. I would always hear other coaches shout, “Mark number 21, get 21, be close to 21!” I would smile and think, “Good luck with that!” I remember one day I came over to her at practice and said, “Linieda, we have had a complaint from the other team’s coach about you,” and she just looked at me. I said, “Their defenders have not been able to sleep because you have been giving them nightmares. They keep seeing you dribbling past them in their sleep!” She just laughed and said, “Thanks, coach.” That was Linieda. There was no flash, no arrogance with her. There was no, “I did this, I did that.” NOT A CHANCE. Team always before herself.

I have a poem I found that I want to read to you.

She gets out there and hustles
She does her very best
It’s all about the teamwork
And winning is her quest.

Pretty as a picture
She could be most anything
But for now she’s chosen soccer
And working hard for her team.

Her pony-tail is flying
The ball is flying too
She’s got those skills down good
And she knows just what to do.

So come on folks and watch this kid
If you want to see the best
A girl who could be a beauty queen
But soccer is her quest!

Linieda, we all miss you, love you, and we will never forget you. Rest in peace.