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North American athletes send soccer equipment to their fellow soccer atlets in Costa Rica
Hig School sent much-needed soccer equipment to Central America on Wednesday, May 2nd, as part of a program designed to help their former countries and themselves.
“Athletes to Atletas Keeping the Connection Alive!” is a program Dominion started during the 2005-2006 school year. The target audience for the intramural soccer program is recently arrived Latino students. The idea, said Athletic Director Joe Fleming, is to give these students something to do after school so that they wouldn’t find wrong elements in the community. Latin dance and other activities were tried the first two years Dominion was open before the school started a World Cup-style soccer activity.
The students involved in this program participate in three-on-three mini-soccer games on Dominion’s practice fields. There are eight teams of about 10 players each who play on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the fall. The way the team standings are determined, however, goes far beyond the traditional wins and losses.
Participants in this league must bring used soccer equipment to the school for shipment back to Latin America. Standings are determined by wins and losses and by how much soccer equipment is collected. Participants in the program are issued reversible jerseys with World Cup in English on one side and Spanish on the other. To keep the jerseys they have to bring in soccer equipment. (Items collected included corner flags, cleats and athletic bags.)
Titan junior varsity soccer coach Alan Lear oversees the program. Throughout the fall he tracks the teams through official standings and game photos.
“The community is very receptive to this and the beauty of it is that it works,” said Fleming.
The initial shipment of 20 boxes of collected goods went to Costa Rica. Once it arrives, the equipment will be distributed by the local municipal government. Professional soccer players in Costa Rica also will make contact with students at Dominion. These players will keep the homeland connection alive and a remind the students to choose positive alternatives and stay away from gangs.
D.C. United, Washington’s professional soccer team, is one of the groups that has partnered with Dominion on this project. Cheers Sports of Ashburn also has provided equipment and Upper Corner Sports in Purcellville has coordinated the shipment of the goods and has helped make connections in Latin America.
