Snohomish County NewsThese boots are made for filling
Doug Ramsey Photo
Mukilteo fire captain Dan Harbeck works the ferry lane June 27 to collect donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Twenty-three off-duty firefighters and family members raised more than $8,000 during the three day “fill the boot” event. Eddy Lindenstein of MDA Snohomish County said last year, Washington state firefighters collected more than $600,000 for MDA. Lindenstein said money raised by the firefighters helps fund everything from wheelchairs and braces for children afflicted with muscular dystrophy to sponsoring MDA summer camps.
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Youths shine at soccer camp
Ana Esquivel, 5, holds up the Italian flag as she leads Jose Del-Rio, 6, and the rest of her soccer team across the field. Volunteer coach Edgar Medina follows behind.
Doug Ramsay photo
EVERETT - A group of youths huddled on a grassy hill at Walter E. Hall Park on Casino Road last week cheering and waving flags, some counting while former soccer professional Gary White bounced a soccer ball off his forehead.
White told the young athletes from Everett they could do the same so long as they practice and then sent them tearing across the field some calling out to each other in English and Spanish.
More than 200 youths signed up for the weeklong soccer camp held last week. The camp was targeted for 8- to 15-year-olds but when their 5- and 6-year-old siblings showed up, the coaches could not turn them away.
The camp, Casino Road Futbol Academy, was hosted by the Casino Road Stakeholders, with help from the Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, South Everett/Mukilteo Rotary Club, Liga Hispanic, faith-based organizations along Casino Road and the YMCA of Snohomish County.
Everett Police Sgt. Manuel “Manny” Garcia said he and the coaches want to use sports to help the youths get into a routine and hopes they leave the camp with “blessed” memories.
Garcia said he wants to break the link between bad behavior that leads to crime. He believes getting youths involved with sports will prevent them from straying toward sketchy crowds.
“If we can get one generation that can have a clean life, these kids would become missionaries in the neighborhood and set an overwhelming example,” he said.
Garcia said playing soccer and other sports is a good way for children to spend their free time that does not necessarily cost a lot of money.
“It’s hard to explain how powerful this sport is,” he said.
Garcia said many of the youths became attached to their coaches, a combination of teenage athletes, soccer professionals and police officers.
Garcia said the coaches and officers are role models and it’s a relief to see police officers and children talking without children feeling afraid.
“I want them to know me as a person and an officer,” he said.
Garcia played professionally in Mexico City during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He’s been a police officer for more than 30 years.
“There’s a lot of power and knowledge here,” he said of the coaches.
Former FIFA coach, White, current director of coaching for the Snohomish Youth Soccer Club, said teaching these youths the sport now could lead to playing in high school and college and will keep them out of trouble.
“It’ll open their eyes a bit,” White said.
White said playing has given him the opportunity to travel, live in different countries and coach.
“Because of soccer, I’ve been afforded a good life so far,” he said. “I’ve met my best friends and my wife through this.”
David Schumacher, Washington State Youth Soccer Association coaching director, said he hopes now that the youths have soccer balls courtesy of the camp, they will come out and play during the summer.
Schumacher said soccer is the world’s game because it resembles life in many ways as it exposes players to challenges, competition and adversity.
The challenges and setbacks associated with the sport are something the young athletes will learn to overcome, he said.
Volunteer coach Lauren Holberg, 15, said this camp benefits Everett youths because it shows them people are interested in them.
“It gives them a safe environment to grow up in and shows them adults care,” Holberg said.
Holberg volunteered with her teammates that are members of the Tynecastle International Football Club in Everett. They became volunteer coaches through their coach, David Hoggan.
Holberg’s teammate Jessi Ficklin, 15, said the camp provides role models for Everett youths and now they will have friends that want to play soccer too.
“Growing up in this community some (youths) might not get a lot of care or have someone to look up to,” Ficklin said.
Ficklin said their coach has been a good influence on her by teaching her not to give up and to work together.
“He’d do anything for us,” she said. “We’ve all been playing together five years and he’s apart of that.”
Khadija Tarver, 14, said she plays soccer because of the environment the team creates.
“It’s good to be around people that want to be there,” Tarver said.
She said it helps youths to interact with police officers in a positive environment and see them as people who care.
Growing up to dislike police officers could lead to getting into legal trouble, she said.
“Having them here at a young age and seeing officers in a positive light is good to see,” she said.
By KATIE MURDOCH