Last week Fremont Rush’s female players welcomed Officer Cardona and Captain Bobbitt to the pitch. The two members of Fremont PD presented to the players about what it means to be a good citizen, using our eleven Rush Core Values.
August 19, 2021
Fremont Rush & Rush Core Values
The event started off with an introduction from Captain Bobbitt. He told the girls simple ways that they can help out in the community, such as doing homework or helping parents around the house. By doing this our players are enforcing self-discipline, bettering themselves to their highest potential.
The mic was then passed to Officer Cardona. She opened with her explanation of why she became an officer.
“When I was young I had a lot of family in law enforcement so it was always interesting to me. Then when I reached high school, one of my friends was abducted and I saw how the police brought some type of comfort to her parents and seeing that made me realize I wanted to be that for someone else’s family.”
She started her career early on at the age of five, playing for the city of Fremont. After getting her basics down, Officer Cardona moved up to the competitive level by age eight. From there on she moved through the ranks eventually making it to a D1 level by the age of 18.
After learning about her soccer history, Cardona asked the players about Rush’s Eleven Core Values. Hands shot in the air as players enthusiastically waited to be called on so they could give out one of our values. Once a value was given, Officer Cardona would explain to the girls why it was important to show that core value off the field as well as on. And while all of our core values are important to show, there were two that stuck out to Officer Cardona the most.
“I think for me the two most important values are leadership and respect. You can be a leader, but the thing is you aren’t really a good leader unless you’re respected. So being kind or friendly, just someone approachable, are all good characteristics of a leader that will gain you the respect of those around you.”
After Officer Cardona and Captain Bobbitt finished presenting, the players were split into groups and had the opportunity to see a police car up close and learn about all the things inside of it. They learned about the radio, computers, and the names of the different parts of the car. Officer Cardona even turned on the lights and sounded the sirens. Every group got the opportunity to get a picture in front of the squad car.
The 2011 girls team took it one step farther and all got the autographs of Officer Cardona. Lined up, they waited for their turn to give their little slip of yellow paper to the officer and ran over to their parents, face lit up with joy, to show off their new keepsake once they had their turn.
As everyone was leaving, we had the chance to speak with Officer Cardona, asking her what the players at Rush can do to make Fremont a better community.
“To make Fremont a better community I think goes hand and hand with your Rush core values. Showing people respect, showing people empathy, making sure that you are a person that people want to look up to are all ways that you get everyone around you to be a vital part of the community.”
Fremont Rush gives a big thank you to the Fremont PD for taking the time to come out and talk to our female players about what it means to be a positive member of the community!
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On August 15, 2025, Fremont Rush Soccer hosted a special TopSoccer Celebration Party to close out our TopSoccer Summer Clinic. The event was filled with joy, laughter, and a true sense of community as players, families, and coaches came together to celebrate an incredible summer. Our amazing coaches, Coach Mel & Coach G, shared their reflections: “We’re blessed to have the opportunity to coach these amazing athletes. Watching them break out of their shells and seeing the families enjoy themselves has been an amazing experience. We can’t wait to continue to share in the joy that this sport has given us all these years. We’re already looking forward to the fall session and more TopSoccer fun!” Fremont Rush’s TOPSoccer Program is designed for boys and girls ages 5–18 with disabilities who cannot fully participate in mainstream soccer. Operated in partnership with US Youth Soccer (USYS) and Cal North, the program is led by certified trainers and supported by dedicated volunteers. At Fremont Rush, we’re proud to champion this empowering program where every player has a place, every effort is celebrated, and every smile matters. Thank you to our players, families, and volunteers for making this summer so memorable. We can’t wait to see everyone back on the field for the Fall TopSoccer Session!
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Via Tricity Voice: Summer break is filled with fun for kids whether it be from vacation, water parks or summer sports programs. This year Fremont Rush Soccer Club has ensured that every child has the chance to have fun in the sun by launching a special program: TOPSoccer . TOPSoccer is an inclusive soccer program for kids ages 5 to 18 with intellectual or physical disabilities. This past spring, the program debuted its first session at the Karl Nordvik Park in Fremont. “We’ve been trying to build something for kids who may not have the same access to the soccer fields or sports that other kids may have because of either learning disabilities or physical disabilities,” said Fremont Rush founder and president Fernando Colmenares. Each season consists of six Friday evening hour-long sessions where each participant is paired with a volunteer coach or buddy for one-on-one attention. Each session’s activities are completely dependent on the abilities of the players and what they are most excited to do. For example, some sessions will consist of giant soccer balls being kicked around just for fun, while others may have a little bit more structure like having players try to score goals. “Some kids may get really into it and start to dribble around and shoot goals, some kids may like to be out there just running around. It’s whatever the needs of each player are,” explained Colmenares. Fremont Rush director Jerry Losson has been the driving force behind the launch of the program. “I pitched the idea to Fernando Colmenares and Zee Kerawala, our general manager and they both liked the idea and explained that they had previously attempted to start the program. We were all in at that point and went after it,” said Losson. With Losson’s 34 years of teaching in the Fremont Unified School District, he was able to spread the word. “I was also able to leverage my personal and professional connections within Fremont Unified and surrounding school districts [New Haven and Newark] to connect with a variety of schools, their service learning hour coordinators and their special-needs programs coordinators, to get connected with student volunteers to help the TOPSoccer athletes,” said Losson. Alejandra Nangeyali, a mom of one of the players said, “During the first practice I was surprised to see that there were more volunteers than players, which is hard to accomplish because usually there are never enough volunteers for special needs sports.” As much fun as the TOPSoccer is for the kids, parents have also discovered a benefit of their own. “I like connecting with parents who understand having a special needs child and there’s no judgement,” shared parent Patricia Noanchanh. For those parents who are interested in TOPSoccer, Colmenares said, “They can feel confident that someone else is thinking about their kid, someone else is thinking about how we can make an experience better for them. For one day out there you get to watch your son or daughter be an athlete.” View the original article: https://tricityvoice.com/fremont-soccer-club-launches-inclusive-program/
