VCU SportsCenter’s soccer festival rallies Richmond’s youth and raises funds for community programs.
The Virginia Commonwealth University SportsCenter hosted more than 200 children for its inaugural Kickin’ 4 Kidz, a community soccer festival held April 8 at Richmond’s Sports Backers Stadium.
Thirty students in the VCU SportsCenter — a graduate program developed to create an innovative, practical learning environment that prepares students for a successful career in the sports industry — coordinated the event to promote a healthy and active lifestyle, teamwork and community spirit among Richmond’s inner-city youth.
Kickin’ 4 Kidz also raised more than $19,000 in cash and donations for the festival and Lobs & Lessons, a community outreach program formed through a partnership between VCU and Genworth Financial that uses tennis to instill education and life skills in elementary school-age children.
“The students did a tremendous job putting this event together and it really showed in how smoothly the event ran,” said Nathan Tomasini, Ph.D., SportsCenter director. “But most importantly, the kids had a great time, and that was the purpose for the whole event.”
Children from nine Richmond-area community centers participated in a morning of soccer skills instruction followed by an afternoon of soccer games. Other activities included inflatable obstacle courses, face painting, music, dancing, and a visit from Olympic gold medalist and VCU women’s co-head soccer coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak.
“The event was really fun, not just for the kids, but for the SportsCenter students as well,” said VCU graduate student Hunter Leemon. “Both groups benefited from this opportunity.”
Tomasini agreed.
“This event allows our graduate students to get hands-on experience planning and organizing a major event, and they learn that we can make a difference in the community,” he said.
During its 10-year history, the VCU SportsCenter has also contributed to the creation of other community service events including “The Journey, On the Field and Beyond” — a seminar for local high school athletes — and “Rams Reaching Out,” a service-oriented group.
Photo courtesy of VCU SportsCenter
