 At Soccer Unity Project, we hope it is abundantly clear, that we are all about empowering the kids in this program! We have the unique opportunity to see the SUP players grow week in and week out. We get to see that budding leaders come in many different styles! This weeks Player of the Week hails from Bella Mente Montessori Academy, First Grader, Samantha Peters! Samantha has done a fantastic job of standing out amongst a large group of kids. She has an exciting personality with a flair for enjoying life, and she expresses that on the pitch. There are many reasons a student is nominated for Player of the Week, and one of those ways is by being a positive team player. Samantha has truly exemplified an affirming personality and drive. "Sam always has a smile on her face and is ready to play... She's very sweet and friendly to all her teammates and coaches. She's just an absolute joy to be around!" - Coach Nico We asked Samantha a few questions so that we could get to know her better and find out what makes her unique. Be sure to congratulate Samantha next time you see her at practice or a SUP Saturday! Outside of soccer, what do you like to do for fun? Hang out in my secret hideout. What have you learned by being a part of SUP? Every team is good. What makes a good leader? You can train yourself and you can train others too. What's your favorite position in soccer? Goalie. What's your favorite subject in school? Math.
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 It seems as if sunny skies are here to stay and while the prospect of hotter weather might not be the most exciting, we here at SUP love spring in San Diego County especially with the rains being so fickle with our game schedules! Hopefully with the luck of the Irish on our side this weekend we will have another great weekend! Well as you know by now, it's our favorite day of the week, where we announce our newest Player of the Week! This week it is Monte Vista fourth grader, Diego Valdez! Diego has consistently been a part of the SUP community the entire time we have been operating at Monte Vista! He is a special kid because not only does he excel at soccer, he also participates in swimming! "During games Diego is a leader amongst his teammates, directing traffic and participating in both the attack and defense! He's a smart kid and his teammates respond well to his encouragements!" Coach Brian We asked Diego a few questions to see what makes him tick! Outside of soccer, what do you like to do for fun? Playing video games What have you learned by being a part of SUP? I learned how to be a good goalie. What makes a good leader? They help other people. What's your favorite position in soccer? Goalie What's your favorite subject in school? Coding  It's hard to believe it's already over a week into March! Where does the time go? If you read yesterday's blog post, "We Rise by Lifting Others," you'll know that we're all in on the idea of praising the kids in Soccer Unity Project! This week, we celebrate Mission Meadows 3rd grader, Brooke Michael!
Brooke has a great tenacity for the game of soccer! When the ball is at her feet, defenses will have to be on alert! Outside of her soccer skills though, Brooke is someone who takes on the task of lifting up her fellow teammates! She's a joy to have on the pitch and in the program. We cannot wait to see her grow in life and the beautiful game. "Brooke always is excited to give pointers to her teammates and peers. She has a special zest for life and it's always clear that she is fearless on the pitch!" - Coach Juliana We asked her a few questions to let her tell us a little more about her personality. Outside of soccer, what do you like to do for fun? "I like to play with my dogs and my little brother." What have you learned by being a part of SUP? "I learned what it takes to be a team player and juggle the ball. I also learned how to show respect for my teammates." What makes a good leader? "To be a good leader is to be kind to other players and listen to what the coach is saying." What's your favorite position in soccer? "My favorite soccer position is mid field." What's your favorite subject in school? "My favorite subject in school is art because you can never mess up."  Getting a bunch of kids together and cooperating can be a challenge. Everyone has their own style, sense of humor, personal space bubbles, etc. It's hard to find the right happy medium to please every personality. So how can we create a space free of negativity? One way is to encourage a positive environment at all times. Robert Ingersol once said, "we rise by lifting others." This is a simple but profound statement, and it fits perfectly with SUP's mission. It's a philosophy that fits within the setting of team sports. We want to show kids that to be on a team, to experience the joy of success, we need to lift each other up! If there's a kid who is being picked on, it's safe to say, that kid would not be having fun. When we get to the games, the picked on kid may simply not want to be there. So if that's the case, they won't try as hard. Then, from a coaches perspective, when the other kids voice their frustration that the bullied kid isn't giving it their all, the question becomes, "how are you encouraging them?" SUP is firm on the belief that negativity is not a recipe for success!
SUP believes we can come along side families and schools to supplement areas of personal growth for youth. Lara Mossman points to a study that shows that youth coaches can offer a lot in this realm by, "helping players deal with frustration on the field, teaching players how to lose well, how to play in the right spirit, i.e. fair and not dirty, dealing with interpersonal issues on the team, teaching players to respect teammates, the opposition and officials and the importance of mutual respect ..." and the list goes on. At SUP, our coaches do everything from running the program itself to reffing the games. So all of the aforementioned responsibilities resonate! We believe that with the fast paced society of our culture, families and schools appreciate any help they can get to help their kids succeed. Admittedly, we live in the age of video review. Soccer is slowly adopting forms of it, and North America is on the forefront of that movement. Youth sports will definitely be the last to implement that technology, if they ever do. Whenever human error is involved, refs will miss calls and kids will need to learn how to respect the referees decision, even when they disagree. Adults know that, and there's nothing worse than a bad call affecting the outcome of a game. But kids need to learn to respect authority and referees are a great place to learn that lesson first. Of course, sportsmanship is key, and most people would vote to see an end to bullying once and for all. As coaches and influencers of youth, we are on the front lines of this issue. When coaches are leading drills and kids are lined up, sometimes shenanigans unfold. We've heard it all, "Billy keeps touching me! ... Susie cut in line! ... I don't want to play defense." This is when we need the more experienced players to be leaders, to encourage their teammates in working as a team! When kids feel empowered to take ownership, they seem to step up to the challenge more often. Developing leaders early should always be a priority! So again, this is why we need to "Rise by lifting others!"  Outside of game day, Thursday's have become our favorite day of the week at SUP because we get to celebrate the Player of the Week! This week is no different as we highlight Grace Mullen's exceptional teamwork and participation in the SUP community.
"During a scrimmage game, Grace did a great job helping some of the younger kids understand the game better and encouraged them to not be afraid to go after the ball. Grace has a powerful right foot!" - Coach Brian To get to know Grace better, we asked her a few questions, and here is what she had to say: Outside of soccer, what do you like to do? Outside soccer, I like to read. What have you learned by being a part of SUP? By being a part of SUP, I have learned to be a better soccer player. What makes a good leader? A good leader listens to other people's opinions. What's your favorite position in soccer? My favorite position in soccer is forward. What's your favorite subject in school? My favorite subject in school is math. Be sure to congratulate this rising star next time you see her on the pitch! And watch out for that right foot! |
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