Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Outreach: Emlen Elementary Hosts Soccer Festival, Union’s Sapong By Jackson Corrigan
The Union’s CJ Sapong poses with players from AC Fairhill
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n Tuesday, March 7, Emlen Elementary, located in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, hosted the Emlen Soccer Festival, a night full of music, dance and, of course, soccer. Emlen Elementary took on local soccer program AC Fairhill in a thrilling game that the students loved. The night was full of excitement from both the children involved and the parents in attendance. The elementary school gymnasium was packed with people coming together to enjoy the beautiful game in a city that was integral to its American development. The Emlen Soccer Festival stemmed from an afterschool soccer program with the intention of keeping students active, while also teaching them important skills. “I thought the event was awesome,” said Tammy D Thomas, Principal of Emlen Elementary. “It was a great way for our kids to interact with another team, show sportsmanship and just go out and have fun.” She talked about the importance of having afterschool programs as well,
game, the community and also living a healthy lifestyle.” Sapong has made giving back a priority since he joined the Union in December 2014. “I am excited moving forward,” he said. “(The Emlen Soccer Festival) gives me more motivation and inspiration. It is one of those moments that makes me realize that there is a way to create change, and it starts with all of us.” Sapong does his own giving back through the Union. He also recently launched a non-profit, Sacred Seeds, which promotes growth in underserved areas through education, sustenance and self-sustainability. Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer hopes to continue its outreach to communities similar to Emlen and continue to promote soccer throughout Eastern Pennsylvania. “There are a lot of great things going in underserved areas of cities and rural communities with the game of soccer,” said Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Outreach Coordinator J.T. Dorsey. “Events like this give us a chance to highlight this great work, community and family support, and excitement the kids have when playing soccer.” The Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Outreach Program continues to help communities looking to start programs such as the Emlen Soccer Festival. If you are interested in getting involved or starting your own program, please email J.T. Dorsey at JTDorsey@epysa.org.
specifically soccer programs. “The program means that our kids have a chance to play a sport that they probably wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to play,” Thomas said. “And that gives me great excitement.” Thomas was also thankful for the parental support and great efforts from the coaches and community, including Philadelphia Union striker C.J. Sapong. Sapong surprised the kids and took pictures with both teams and even a few parents. “It is a very exciting moment for me to experience the way people of different positions in the community come together to make an overall grand experience for the youth,” Sapong said of the Emlen Soccer Festival. “It is interesting for me to see how creative we are getting to create Students from Emlen Elementary were all smiles during their school’s Soccer Festival. excitement for the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer
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