Love of the Game: My Story with YMCA's Youth Soccer

My whole soccer career started in a little arena at the YMCA in West Valley, California.

This area was the home of many classes, fitness opportunities and much more. My small school had its soccer program compete in the YMCA league and I miss it so very much. I still remember my first game, and the location in general, just like it was yesterday.

After exiting the main YMCA building, straight ahead, there was a playground which was almost left empty, and if you went right you would see the arena where countless games have been played. Other than the joyful victories and tearful losses that happened at this location, the YMCA was a place that brought many emotions out of people, but forced personal and team-oriented growth.

One of my favorite stories to tell is about my time in the playoff semi finals of what I believe to be my fourth grade team.

The score must have been 7-1 in our favor at half time. Since the YMCA was not as large as other locations, we were all somewhat friendly with the referees. Considering the game was rather imbalanced and we had a whole half left to play, the referee decided to put some restrictions on a couple of us, making it so that we could only shoot from behind the halfway line, which promoted different special strategies. Not only did this force me to pass the ball more and learn to trust my teammates, everybody was able to have much more fun. I got that one goal from behind the halfway line which I was quite proud of. I then accidentally kicked the ball into the referee's shins while shooting next and he gave me a yellow card which meant I had to go off the field. Although this made me very upset at the time because I never really got a yellow card before, this whole story now shows me how amazing this place really was and how they were able to teach valuable lessons without really trying.

I hope this place is doing the same to the rising junior soccer players that are going through the same thing I was!

For more information on the sport's program at the YMCA please check out this video.

To learn more about the West Valley YMCA, please visit their website here.

Special Thank You

Thank you to Lisa Van Ingen Pope, Lionnel Zaragosa and Gary Ocampo for all they do to advance this great organization and for their kind words of encouragement for Spirit Football.

• Lisa Van Ingen Pope, Senior Vice President, Mission Advancement

• Lionnel Zaragoza, District Vice President YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles

• Gary Ocampo, Interim Executive Director for the West Valley YMCA

Give Back!

I would encourage anyone who can give back to the YMCA West Valley to do so here.

For more information about giving opportunities, you can also contact:

• LisaVanIngenPope@ymcala.org or call 213 351 2204.

Spirit Football is donating $1000 to the West Family YMCA soccer program.