Fremont Soccer Launches Inclusive Program
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.”
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