Soccer

Summer is always an interesting time in my neighbourhood. I watch kids head to the local park, kick off their shoes, use them as goal posts, and start a friendly soccer game.

Hockey is traditionally our Canadian sport. Last year at Neighbour Day I brought some hockey sticks from the local church and had the road blocked off so that the kids could play a game of street hockey.......the sticks were not touched once!!!

If I had set up soccer nets and had soccer balls, the kids would have been all over that. And thanks to the local community girls they saw that skill, love, and talent for the game in the children and Janae  two years ago decided she wanted to run it in the community. This year she decided she wanted to do it again but needed a lot more help. She asked who was interested in helping and committing to it. Janet Mader and Evangeline Hammond said they would help with the little kids. They needed help from Bethany chapel for liability issues and in her words, "Voila, a wonderful soccer club for kids was formed." Janae has a heart to work with kids and didn't work as much at the Children's Hospital so this was a good opportunity for her to use her gift to be with kids.

So, they used their free time, gift, skills, and love for children to work with the local kids to offer this free soccer program to the children.

It was great to see the kids come out on the field and take part in developing their soccer skills. Many of the families are from countries where soccer is their countries sport, so they have a love for the game. Janae, Jonny Chin, Evangeline Hammond, Jenna Wood, Janet Mader, and the older  community youth kids came out to help out.

Jonny was a great person to have on the team. It's not often you see positive male influences in my neighborhood, so to have him out there, making a difference in the kids lives, was truly commendable.

What was truly inspiring to see was the older youth coming out to take part. It kept them involved in the community, developed leadership skills for them, got to be a positive influence for the younger children, and gave them something to be proud of!!!

Good job guys!! Keep up the awesome community work you do all the time in your community, you are making a difference and are an inspiration to others!!!