Earlier this week I had a chance to sit down with CCCE program director and varsity soccer captain Kevin Doyle to discuss his involvement with the Northfield chapter of TOPSoccer; a community-based soccer training program for young athletes with disabilities.
Following recommendation from fellow Carleton athletes his freshman year, Kevin joined TOPSoccer and has been an integral part of the program’s leadership since. While the job of program director is often difficult and time consuming, Kevin speaks only of the fun, rewarding times he has had with the program; the one challenge, he concedes, being the winter weather that forces the soccer players indoors.
“I have enjoyed getting to know the athletes, and I have really loved seeing them grow and become more comfortable. Many of the athletes are very shy at first, but after a few sessions, they become really engaged with the coaches. It has been great to see their confidence grow on the soccer field, and with how they interact with others. It has really become a tightly knit community”.
It is clear that Kevin, and the Carleton TOPSoccer program are staying true to the stated mission of the national organization to foster physical, mental and emotional development in America’s disabled youth through soccer, as the kids show improvement and grow closer to the coaches and each other each day.
When asked to sum up his experience with the program Kevin responded with a story.
“I think the moment that most encapsulates my experience came sometime the spring of my sophomore year. We have one athlete, Anna, who had recently joined and was very quiet from the start. She was starting to talk a little more, but she had not fully warmed to the program yet. We were playing a game, and Anna scored a goal on one of the coaches. She raised her hands high in the air and had the biggest smile on her face. Everyone athletes and coaches celebrated with her, and it really felt like we were one big team. It was an amazing experience!”