9-Year-Old Girl Finds Hope After Meeting Pro Soccer Player Just Like Her

April 27, 2026

For 9-year-old Hayden Stine, a night at a soccer game turned into something far bigger than a final score. Watching professional player Carson Pickett take the field gave the young girl a powerful reminder that her dreams are possible too.

Carson Pickett with Hayden Stine / CBS News

At the Denver Summit FC home opener last month at Mile High Stadium, the new NWSL team didn’t score a goal. But for Hayden, the evening still felt like a major victory.

The aspiring soccer player was born without most of her right arm. Seeing Carson Pickett competing at the highest level of women’s soccer instantly gave her someone she could relate to.

“I want to be a professional soccer player when I grow up,” Hayden told CBS News. “And she was able to do that. And it really fills me with hope that I'm able to as well.”

For Hayden, the moment was about much more than sports.

“Role models make you feel like you can do anything, just like them,” she said.

Her mother, Christina Stine, says the impact was immediate.

“Since meeting Carson, her confidence has skyrocketed,” Christina shared. “At school, on the soccer field, it’s through the roof.”

What makes the connection even more meaningful is that Pickett once struggled with being seen for her limb difference.

“I didn't want to be known as the girl with one arm that plays soccer,” Pickett told CBS News. “I just wanted to be known for the girl that plays soccer.”

For years, she avoided drawing attention to it. She even hid her arm in photos. But over time, Pickett realized her journey could inspire others facing similar challenges.

“Finding out that the journey is a lot less about myself and a lot more about the hearts I can touch along the way.”

Today, Pickett fully embraces that mission.

“I want to meet all the kids, all the families, all the adults,” she said. “I want to meet everyone that I can.”

And she recently took that commitment one step further by surprising Hayden at soccer practice.

The two now plan to stay connected, creating the kind of friendship that can shape a young life for years to come.