SPORTS
We are the champions
Local teenagers help kids with special needs play the beautiful game. By Ryan Cohen
W
ith an ocean breeze blowChampions League has been ing over the southern equally beneficial for the Buddies. Cardiff Elementary School “Champions League has changed field, four-year-old William Wang who I think I can get along with,” dances to the song “Don’t Stop Caden Martin, SDA freshman, said. Believing” by Journey and played “It has helped me realize that we are soccer with SDA senior Julia Honda all just people and we all love playand junior Emma Worthington. For ing around on a Sunday afternoon. an hour, William is just like the rest These ‘barriers’ people like to talk of the kids his age. He suits up in about don’t actually exist. We all just his Champions League jersey and like playing soccer.” becomes an athlete. A typical session begins with William is one of 24 Chama few drills, but quickly moves to pions. Champions are people with a scrimmage, a favorite of both the special needs ranging from 4 to 46 Buddies and the Champions. The years old who work with volunteer Champions have a vast range of teenagers, called Buddies, to learn skill sets, so there are activities for the basics of soccer. Many of the everyone, including playing on a Buddies are SDA students. There is giant inflated soccer ball or shoota session every Sunday for six weeks ing goals on the side of the field. where the Champions socialize with But even though it doesn’t have the each other and refine their skills on intensity of a typical soccer game, it the field. has all the good parts with the nasty Quincy Erturk, then a junior at bits removed. No crazy, screaming CCA, founded parents. No bad the Champions calls by refs. League in 2015. No overbearing Erturk had coaches. “It has been a worked with spe“For me, it beautiful, fantascial needs kids in doesn’t matbaseball through ter what these tic experience. I the Carlsbad Champions are Miracle League. doing, as long as love Champions An avid soccer they are having player and fan, a good time,” League.” Erturk wanted to said SDA junior extend the idea Holly Cook. to her favorite “Their smiles are – Elio Ambrosio sport, so she set the most infecout to do it on tious things in her own. She the world and I successfully ran am very grateful the league for two years, but left for that I get to see them every week.” college last fall. Now the league is SDA Senior Elio Ambrosio in the hands of three SDA students: has noticed a significant advancesenior AJ Schumann, junior Sam ment from his Champion, Jimmy. Fraser, and sophomore Aidan Cohen. “He has improved since the day we “As co-directors, we run games, first started. In our second week try to keep things moving, and entogether, he scored four goals in the courage activity from all the Chamscrimmage and he was just so happy pions,” Schumann said. “We try to and excited that I couldn’t help but talk to them and keep them engaged be happy for him,” Ambrosio said. at all times. We keep the energy up. “It has been a beautiful, fantastic For me, I enjoy seeing the kids who experience. It is one of the brightest were shy at first smiling at the end parts of my week. I love Champions of a session because they shot goals League.” or played good defense. There’s a For Champion Zander Hebert change in their overall disposition and his father James, the impact and it is great to see.” of the Champions League goes far The league has a great aura beyond just Sunday. “To be in the about it. The Champions and Budcompany of people who really are dies are obviously having a blast, devoted to helping him, who care and the parents are thrilled. Janet about what they do, carries through Fioriti, mother of two Champions, the week for us,” James said. “He said, “For them to hang out with cool gets really fired up about each sesBuddies, move around and play, and sion every week.” be supported is just so nice. They While the league is focused can’t be in regular team sports, so around soccer, there is a fair amount this is their opportunity to participate of dancing involved as well. A playin sports and be a part of the commu- list of upbeat tunes floats through nity. In their minds, they are soccer the air during the session, and many players. This is their time to feel of the Champions like to boogie like their life is more typical than it alongside their Buddies. normally is.” William Wang came into the
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JIMMY RUNS THROUGH the tunnel at the end of a Champions session. Photo by Ryan Cohen Champions League timid, but has found a love for dancing. “When William first got here, he was actually pretty shy. He didn’t really want to participate in the drills or play in the scrimmages,” SDA Senior Julia Honda, William’s buddy, said. “He just wanted to stay with his mom.
Now he’s dancing with us and having a good time. That’s why I do it. It doesn’t get much better than that.” Champions League, which runs from January through March, is always looking for more volunteers and Champions to participate. For more information about working
with the Champions League program in future seasons, visit http://cardiffsoccer.org/mustang-championsleague/ or email cardiffchampions@gmail.com.
MAR 2018