It's More Than a Game

This picture, from the LYSA TOPSoccer website,
shows buddies and players from previous years in action.

Lending a helping hand to others has always been a passion of mine that I have demonstrated through my love and constant pursuit of volunteering;  and I get the lucky opportunity to be able to earn credit for a class and do projects through work in a volunteer organization! The organization LYSA TOPSoccer was presented to me and I knew instantly that it was perfect for me due to my experience with soccer as well as my previous work with special needs children.  Through extensive research, I learned many enlightening and heartwarming things about this organization and how strongly it impacts the lives of children.

The main aim of LYSA TOPSoccer is to help children with special needs learn the game of soccer through relaxed drills and fun activities. This is done through one-on-one pairings of athletes to buddies-- us volunteers being the buddies. According to their website, the buddies attend to the physical, cognitive, behavioral, sensory and hearing needs of their athletes while giving them constant encouragement to improve.

This program began in August of 2009 and has been growing exponentially since.  It is a community-based soccer program that has truly impacted the lives of so many young individuals.  With an age range of 4-18, no child will be turned down the opportunity to get the chance to learn and play soccer in such an engaging and positive environment.

I actually got the opportunity to participate this past weekend in a practice, and it exceeded my expectations. I was paired up with a boy named Damien who made me smile from the moment I started talking to him.  His energy was unbelievable, and the time we spent hanging out and playing soccer made me so eager to come back for the next practice. I got to observe how Damien overcame the physical and mental obstacles that his ADHD and Autism created, and seeing him improve in merely an hours worth of practice just made my day.

All in all, I absolutely cannot wait to continue volunteering with this organization.  It has already been exciting as well as eye-opening and I've only been to one practice!

Website Citation:

LYSA TOPSoccer. (2012). Retrieved September 15, 2015.