ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — While TOPSoccer has only been around for a few months, it’s already making a huge impact.
“I think soccer is a world of imagination," TOPSoccer Player, Jacob Maynard said.
For Jacob Maynard, soccer became the outlet he never knew he needed.
“For a year, I thought the world was loud and noisy and there was nothing that would make me happy, but when I joined soccer it just changed," Maynard said.
And that’s what TOPSoccer is all about.
“It is a program that helps kiddos with physical, emotional and mental disabilities to come out and learn to play soccer in a safe and inclusive environment," TOPSoccer Coordinator, Christena Chacon said.
Chacon started this program about two months ago and it's already home to 16 young soccer players.
“Every kid needs to be outside, run around and be a part of something," Chacon said. "That’s why it’s even more important for these kiddos to have somewhere and something to do.”
TOPSoccer is partnered with the Surf Soccer Club.
This way not only do the players get help from adults, but peers as well.
“It’s really awesome," Maynard said. "Everybody likes me, everybody’s welcomed me in.”
TOPSoccer is completely free of charge and the end goal is to form their own league just like the Surf Soccer Club.
“They’ve always been told that they have limits and out here they don’t," Chacon said. "They get to experience things that maybe they never thought they could possibly do.”
TOPSoccer meets every Wednesday at Naranja Park from 5 – 6 p.m.
For more information visit their website.
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Erin Patterson is a reporter for KGUN 9. She's agraduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in News Media with a Sports Concentration. Erin recently obtained her Master's Degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she gained experience a sports reporter, anchor and producer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Erin by emailing erin.patterson@kgun9.com.
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