Meet the founders
Victoria is a Scranton, Pennsylvania native who is a founding member of the Gray’s Creek Sports Garden. In 2010, she enlisted in the United States Army where she served in technical and leadership roles where her experiences continue to shape her leadership today. Prior to retirement, she grew a passion for fitness and human performance serving within her commands as an Army Master Fitness Trainer where she advised on physical training, fitness assessments and individual improvement plans. She also developed and led training programs for varying sizes with an emphasis on injury prevention. She also served as the Master Resiliency Trainer, helping soldiers develop skills in goal setting, communication, adaptive thinking, stress management and resilience.
She is currently pursing a Bachelor’s in Exercise and Sports Science at Methodist University and holds certifications in Youth Exercise Certification through NASM, Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism through Brianna Battles and Soccer Coaching through Soldiers to Sidelines.
Becoming a (soccer) mom created a passion for developing opportunities for youth athletes to build confidence, develop healthy habits, and discover lifelong benefits of movement and sports. She believes athletics should be more than competition – it should help young people develop discipline, resilience, teamwork, confidence and a sense of belonging.
Her hopes are that the Gray’s Creek Sports Garden creates a welcoming, community centered space where athletes of all ages and abilities can train, compete, learn and grow.
A native of Hope Mills, Robert has deep roots in the community he hopes to serve. A 2007 graduate of South View High School, Robert grew up playing soccer, where he first discovered both a love for competition and a natural ability for endurance running. That passion eventually led him to Cross Country and Track and earned him an opportunity to compete at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 2009, Robert joined the U.S. Army Reserve, where he continues to serve in the realm of Psychological Operations. Throughout his experiences as an athlete, Soldier, leader, and coach, he has seen firsthand how sports can shape young people far beyond the playing field. Robert believes athletics provide an opportunity to teach discipline, resilience, teamwork, accountability, and confidence while giving young athletes positive mentors and a place to grow. His passion for Gray’s Creek Sports Garden is rooted in creating those same opportunities for the next generations of his hometown and helping young people develop the character and skills they will carry with them into adulthood.
Robert and Victoria Belcher
Coming Soon…