10-year-old Crawford County girl wins pitchside World Cup experience

The young player won the experience during a surprise video call with a U.S. national team player.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A 10-year-old Middle Georgia soccer player is headed to the World Cup after winning a once-in-a-lifetime contest through a mobile app.

Bailey DeWitt, who lives in Crawford County and has played at Macon Soccer Club since she was three, won pitchside “golden tickets” to an upcoming FIFA World Cup match during a surprise video call with U.S. Women’s National Team player Gisele Thompson.

Bailey’s mother, Susanna DeWitt, said she came across the contest on the My Verizon app with only minutes left to enter.

“It was about to end in like 13 minutes, so I looked at it, and it said it was a video call with Gisele Thompson,” she said.

During the call, Thompson revealed Bailey had won two tickets to June’s World Cup match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta.

“We were just excited and shaking each other, hugging each other,” Susanna Dewitt said.

Bailey said the whole experience, which included her peppering Thompson with a prepared list of questions, had her “a little bit nervous and excited at the same time.”

Her father, Tommy DeWitt, said Bailey had already been hoping to attend a World Cup game once matches in Georgia were announced.

“As soon as we found out they were gonna have some games in Georgia, she was already trying to figure out how we could get up there,” he said.

Her coach, Todd Swanson, described Bailey as focused and aggressive on the field.

“I think she’s going to be shocked at how big the players are when you see them up close,” he said.

She’ll soon experience something few young athletes ever get.

“I think I’m just gonna be so excited, and it’s gonna be so much fun,” she said.