Members of a youth soccer association were able to take on Calgary’s finest in a friendly soccer match to help promote community enrichment and youth mentorship on Saturday.
The annual Calgary Police vs. Kids Soccer Match is hosted by Soccer Without Borders, a community association that brings both children who are new to the city and those from low-income families together for a year-round soccer camp.
The founder, Jean-Claude Munyezamu says that the camp helps provide youth with a sense of belonging.
“A team is very important in the life of a kid. When kids don’t belong to a team, they will find one.”
SWB has about 319 children registered I the program in 2018, but over 650 children have gone through the system over the past eight years.
Munyezamu says there’s been a great deal of success in the club too.
“We have 100 percent high school graduation. We have kids who have gone on to play university soccer, we have kids who have went on the England to try out for professional soccer academies, we have kids who are playing high level in the city, so it’s been wonderful.”
Saturday was the last day of the camp and a celebration was held for all the participants at Optimist Park in southwest Calgary.
For more information on the Soccer Without Boundaries program, you can visit the organization’s website.
