This coming Saturday, the Westfield Soccer Association’s Soccer Buddies program will return to Westfield. With over a hundred Westfield middle and high school students, Soccer Buddies is set to have another successful season.
Soccer Buddies is a club that engages special needs children ages 4 to 19 in one-on-one soccer instruction with middle and high school students during both the spring and the fall months.
Every Saturday morning, from 10-11 a.m., members meet at the soccer field on Elm Street in Westfield. Here, the kids can scrimmage, do various drills, or work privately with an instructor for the duration of the time. The children get the opportunity to choose which activity they would like to do each day, and they gain a lot of experience with the sport. “We’ll get into scrimmages and everything,” said Westfield senior and Soccer Buddies leader, Morgan Hoch. “Whenever anyone scores, everyone’s very happy.”
This year, a combination of Westfield middle and high school students will make up the 119 members involved. All instructors participate voluntarily, and the kids pay $15 to take part.
The majority of the instructors are WHS varsity athletes. Because of this, kids get the chance to potentially play and learn from the most competitive athletes in New Jersey.
WHS students are drawn to the program for a variety of reasons. Hoch said, “I’m very passionate about volunteering with children with special needs because my brother has special needs, so I’ve seen it have a really good impact on a lot of kids.”
WHS senior distance runner Neil Weiss, also a volunteer, said, “I wanted to give kids with disabilities an opportunity to play soccer and be active in ways they normally would not be able to.”
By getting the opportunity to work alongside disadvantaged children, the program can be extremely beneficial and rewarding to both the kids and instructors involved. Anna Garretson, a senior sprinter, said, “it makes you feel proud of yourself that you’re able to do this and that you’re having an impact on them. So, it’s not just what [Soccer Buddies] does for you, but it’s also what you’re doing for another person.”
Additionally, it is important to note that the sessions are optional. It is not mandatory to attend every session as a child or a volunteer. Still, there is a large turn out of around 40 to 50 high school and adult volunteers each Saturday with both the kids and instructors eager to participate. Even with the added pressures of school, extracurriculars, and social activities, the students try their best to make this program a priority.
Although those involved might love this program, coaching the kids can be a challenge at times. Senior distance runner and Soccer Buddies senior leader, Riley Roth, said, “Although this is a really rewarding experience, it can also be really difficult. But, it’s really great because I’ve worked with them throughout the season and watch them slowly enjoy their experience at Soccer Buddies and look forward to it.”
“You really have to be patient and get to know each person,” said Garretson. Even though the coaches work to push the athletes out of their comfort zones, Garretson said the most important thing is “to keep them comfortable and enjoying themselves.”
After a long off-season, the WHS athletes and participants are eager to begin yet another notable Soccer Buddies season starting Saturday.
