More than a thousand students from across the San Diego Unified School District are spending their summer learning on soccer fields in the South Bay.
The district partnered with the Chicano Federation and the San Diego Foundation to provide weekly summer soccer camps at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center.
They are free to children who applied from neighborhoods that are under-resourced and often underserved.
Liz Ramirez is CEO of the Chicano Federation. She said the camps are a boost for kid's mental health, too.
“We see it day to day. Youths start off being really shy. Sometimes they don’t know anyone at the camp. But, very quickly, they make friends. They develop self-confidence, and that’s what it’s all about," Ramirez said.
Isaac Vargas, 12, plays goalie or any other position his team needs to be filled. He is committed for the next two months to be at camp every weekday.
“(It takes) a lot of passion. A lot of time. You gotta put in the work. It takes a lot," Vargas said.
The camp runs all day and it’s funded by $500,000 from the district’s summer enrichment budget.
San Diego Unified Superintendent Lamont Jackson was on the field Thursday, coaching some of the student players.
“We need the individuals to bring their full selves and be part of a team, part of the collective. And, we need the collective to see the individuals and their full potential,” Jackson said.
Along with the soccer coaching and the lessons learned, students are also making progress toward a college education. Once they're finished with the camp, they will each receive four units of college credit.
The credit for leadership training is redeemable any time in the future at UC San Diego, one of the camp’s other sponsors. Lola Banta, 11, is well on her way to reaching her goals off and on the field.
“It feels awesome because you met a goal you wanted to do, and you also scored for your team so you guys could win," she said.
