A respectful silence replaced the sounds of laughter and playful banter that previously filled the gymnasium and cafeteria at Metuchen High School, where dozens of scholastic girls soccer players gathered for a sportsmanship and leadership summit.

After engaging in icebreaker games and conversing over submarine sandwiches, the eyes and ears of the student-athletes from 20 different high school programs, previously strangers but now becoming fast friends, were transfixed on three keynote speakers.

The speakers were Brianne Reed (a former Rutgers University women’s soccer star and co-founder of The Players Network), Melany Nunes (an International Partnerships Associate with Major League Baseball), and Dr. Nehi Patel (a non-operative sports medicine physician at University Orthopedic Associates).

The speakers shared with attendees their personal experiences, emphasizing leadership, community service, teamwork, overcoming adversity, preparation, and sportsmanship. They also addressed opportunities for women in and beyond sports, conveying the message that an abundance of future possibilities exists for high school student-athletes after graduation.

Reed’s professional career has taken her across the globe, playing in Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Portugal, Canada, and the United States. She is currently a member of the Dominican Republic National Team. Beyond the pitch, Reed is co-founder of The Players Network, an organization dedicated to helping aspiring current and retired professional soccer players navigate and understand the world of women’s soccer.

Nunes is a dynamic and detail-oriented event operations and partnerships professional with experience managing high-profile events, sponsorship initiatives, and digital activations across professional sports and the performing arts. In her current role with Major League Baseball, she oversees stadium asset inventory and execution for the Major League Baseball World Tour and World Baseball Classic.

An alumna of North Brunswick High School, where she competed on the varsity swim team, Dr. Patel was also an avid dancer. As a former athlete, Dr. Patel understands the importance of staying active, healthy, and resilient. After completing her family medicine residency and a sports medicine fellowship, Dr. Patel became a non-operative sports medicine physician.

The sportsmanship and leadership summit took place on the eve of the fifth annual Greater Middlesex Conference Soccer for a Cause Charity Festival.

The showcase features 10 games between teams who are uniting to help pediatric cancer patients and other children in need through their participation in the fundraising event, which benefits The Marisa Tufaro Foundation and Go4theGoal.

In addition, the more than 300 players and coaches involved in the 2025 Soccer for a Cause Charity Festival are also collecting nonperishable food items for REPLENISH, a regional food bank serving Middlesex County residents.

Over the past four years, the charity festival has raised more than $50,000 for the two nonprofits while also generating nearly three tons of food for REPLENISH.

Since its inception seven years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated more than $400,000 to assist pediatric patients and underserved children throughout the greater Middlesex County area.

Go4theGoal’s mission is to improve the lives of children battling cancer by providing financial support, developing, and implementing unique hospital programs, funding innovative research, and granting personal wishes.

The event fittingly occurs in September, which is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and National Hunger Awareness Month.

North Brunswick head coach Megan Carroll and Metuchen assistant coach Julie Youngman opened the sportsmanship and leadership summit, engaging players in team bonding activities.

The activities and upcoming games are a testament to the willingness of players from different teams to work together, support one another, and lead by example.

Collectively, through their involvement in the charity festival, the varsity soccer players are making a profound impact on the lives of pediatric cancer patients, children in need, and food insecure families.

Their participation and collaboration illustrate how competitors – and sometimes even rivals – can unite for the greater good.