Building community one pass at a time

 

After finishing out the Spring Season in the Takoma Soccer league, the 3rd and 4th grade boys teams have continued practicing Tuesdays and Thursdays into the summer. With the facilitaitional help of Coach Armando, who lives in the Nob Hill apartments, the 3rd grade team’s parents met a few weeks ago to organize a rotating drink and snack schedule. On average 15 parents show up to Armando’s practices eager to help run drills, cheer the kids on, provide refreshments and even, as was the case this past Thursday, deliver practice jerseys, or pennies, one parent was compelled to buy for the team.

Thanks to Coach Armando’s intentional relationship building via weekly check-in phone calls and impropmptu pre-practice sideline meetings, the parents feel deep commitment to and ownership over their children’s soccer team. They have already selected a team secreatary and assistant coach and next Friday, at an LBAA-wide summer soccer program registration party, will formalize additional parent roles looking forward to the Fall season. Armando is eager to create a structure for parent involvement in the teams that can ultimately act as a space for mutual support and civic engagement in the larger Long Branch community.

 

Below are several pictures from Coach Chris’ 4th grade boys practice:

5th grade soccer guys and team managers

 

Coach Chris teaching "goalie 101" to David and crew

 

Wilinson practicing goalie basics

 

Below are pictures from Coach Armando’s 3rd grade boys practice:

Parents and uncle watch on as their star player does best job to stay inside the lines Soccer dad David explains importance of parents being actively involved in kid's soccer program