Looking Back on Lessons Learned

After weeks and weeks of practice, I have seen so much improvement within the minds of all the wonderful LYSA TOPSoccer children. The Halloween themed team party that we attended about two weekends ago was definitely the perfect way to close this amazing season with the most amazing team. It was held at a local high school in the cafeteria, so let's just say we sure had a lot of decorating to do. The other volunteers and I arrived about an hour beforehand to start setting up all of the fun activities that TOPSoccer had planned. We furiously hung streamers, set up games, and decorated as much as we could with all of the Halloween decorations we could find. Seeing all of the dedicated volunteers work so hard to prepare a party for these kids just really shows how devoted we are to this organization.

Team photo from picture day

As soon as the kids started arriving, I got put on bowling duty. There was a bowling game set up towards the back of the cafeteria that I was supposed to man for the next few hours, and I had no idea how popular that game would end up being. To say the least, I could not take my eyes off the bowling ball for five seconds because of how intense the children were making the game! By the time that most of the players were heading towards the food and away from the games, the area I was in was starting to clear out; and around the corner comes Damien, one of my favorite players who I ended up growing very close with by the end of the season. He ran up and gave me a huge hug, which ultimately made my day.  The smile on Damien's face when he knocked all the pins down is something I will forever have etched into my mind: pure and true happiness. The impact that I have made on him throughout this past season will be something that I will most definitely remember for the rest of my life.

Player receiving hug during ceremony

After lots of delicious food and desserts, it was time for the awards ceremony. One by one, each of the players were recognized by their coaches and given a giant trophy as well as a giant hug. The pictures that I took during these moments were just priceless, and I could truly see how proud the player's parents were of them. Another thing I noticed during this ceremony was how many teams there were, I was just under the impression that there were the two teams that practiced at Masterson State Park with us on Sundays; but, there were actually a few other teams besides those, therefore showing how widespread this organization really has become through the years.

All in all, this team party truly wrapped up this season perfectly with smiles and trophies all around. The amount of lessons learned and relationships built these past few months have truly impacted me as well as my stance on those in the disabled community.