Ashley Hatch is officially a mom.
On Monday, Hatch announced that she had given birth to her first child, a son named Leo.
The Washington Spirit forward shared a carousel of images on Instagram of her, her husband, Jeff Van Buren, and their son.
“Leo is here and we are loving every minute with him. We could not be happier to be a family of 3. Our hearts are so full,” she wrote on Instagram.
The former BYU star told the Deseret News in October that she had always wanted to be a mom, but she thought she’d have to wait to be one until after she had retired from soccer.
“I think coming into playing professional soccer, I always was of the mindset of like, ‘I’m going to play soccer and then I’m going to be a mom. Like, I don’t think I can do both,’” Hatch said.
Over the years, she and Van Buren, both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had been “constantly praying” about their desire to start a family, asking God to help them know when they should start.
In 2024, they both felt a “void” in their home and knew it was the right time.
“I did not think I would be playing for nine years, and I feel very lucky that my career has gone the way that it has,” she said. “But I didn’t think that it was a possibility that it would be what it is today. But now we’re at a point where it’s like, I don’t want to be done playing soccer, but I also turned 30 this year and I’m like, ‘I want to start my family.’”
Hatch learned she was pregnant in March, but six weeks later, she miscarried while with the national team in Los Angeles. She played two games after her miscarriage.
In July, Hatch announced her pregnancy on social media.
When will Ashley Hatch return to soccer?
While pregnant with baby Leo, Hatch played four games, scoring two goals and assisting on another. She played her last game on May 23.
In October, Hatch told the Deseret News that she wants to be back on the pitch for the Spirit “as soon as physically possible” in the 2026 season.
“I think that’s a reason why I’ve been so adamant about wanting to just stay as active as possible,” she said. “Not only is it good for pregnancy in general, but I’ve just heard for recovery and return to play, it’s a lot smoother — depending on how your delivery goes — in returning to play."
Hatch hopes to make her return and debut as a new mom around the halfway point of this coming season, though she knows that “the timeline for everyone is different.”
“It could take eight months. It could take two months. It could take four months. You never know,” she said.
Read more about how Hatch navigated pregnancy as a professional athlete and how she has stayed trued to herself over nine-year professional career.