A community can mean many different things. It can mean just a group of people living in the same area. But here at 519 Sports Online, we have a different meaning. We think a community is a group of like-minded individuals that work together improving and taking care of not only the place they live, but also the people around them. 

 

I may be biased but the 519 area is one of the best communities out there. We work together to improve our community and everyone in it, but the reality is the adults aren't going to be around forever. The community will be run by the kids in the future and to most people's surprise, it already is!

 

I wanted to see how the kids are and will improve on representing and taking care of their community in the future. I wanted to know how organizations such as the Kitchener Soccer club helped them do it. I contacted my friends over at the Kitchener soccer club and they let me interview three of their best athletes. Ava, Cole, and Brady. 

 

I started off by asking the athletes what impact the club had on them. I wanted to get a better understanding of how these organizations were impacting the kids. 

 

Beginning with Ava, She said “They have given me a lot of opportunities to play. I have moved from house league to Allstar to rep, and one day I hope to get onto the academy team like my two older sisters.” 

 

Cole said “ The club has impacted me by teaching me discipline and perseverance and helps me develop a mindset where I always push myself” 

 

Last but not least, Brady said, “ They have helped me make friends.'' 

 

These players have been impacted by the Kitchener Soccer Club in a variety of ways. Ava has been impacted by the opportunities they have provided her and her sisters with over the years. Cole has been impacted by the lessons the club has taught him, not only within soccer but also out of soccer. Brady has been impacted by the friends he has made and will continue to make through playing soccer at Kitchener Soccer Club.

 

Their reasons show that the Kitchener Soccer Club impacts their players in a variety of ways. They help the kids gain the skills they are going to need to be a great player but also a great person out of soccer, such as discipline, perseverance, and learning how to set goals. These are skills that will stay with them for the rest of their lives and help them become great members of their community.

 

Next, I asked the athletes how Kitchener Soccer Club has helped them with their skill development, as I wanted to know how the club trains and makes the player better. 

 

All of their answers were very similar. Cole summed it up very well, saying “ They have helped me learn the basic fundamentals in house league and rep levels and now at the Academy level they focus heavily on technique”. 

 

I think this sums up all of the athlete’s answers very well. They help these players go from learning how to simply kick the ball in front of them to being the skilled players they are today. They improve their passing, dribbling, shooting, ball control and other essential skills every single practice with specific drills. The players mentioned that the coaches always pushed them out of their comfort zones, which is excellent as when someone is not comfortable they are forced to adapt and gain new skills. 

 

After my previous question, I followed up by asking the players what the coaches are like as far as teaching the game. I wanted to know what specific things Kitchener Soccer Club coaches do.

 

Ava, Brady, and Cole all agreed the coaches were very good. Ava said “they're really nice and teach you lots of different skills” 

 

Cole went on to say “They're very experienced and their knowledge is very extensive. They have a great way of sharing their knowledge with the team, such as breaking down drills and demonstrating them more than once so we understand”. 

 

Now I see that not only are the Kitchener Soccer club coaches strong at coaching, but they are also good people. They are very experienced, which helps them teach the kids all of the knowledge they have acquired after being involved in the sport for years. The players mentioned that the coaches push them out of their comfort zones, which, as I said before, is a great way for kids to learn on and off of the field. 

 

After this, I wanted to see what these coaches and the club are doing to develop the future leaders of our community. So I asked the athletes what skills they have learned off the field when participating in soccer at Kitchener Soccer Club. 

 

Brady answered my question by saying “I learned to be a leader in school”. 

 

Ava said she learned “how to be more confident”.

 

Cole went on to say “Knowing how to work in a team environment, sacrificing person goals for team goals, and being a positive impact on others” 

 

All of the athletes have definitely learned some great skills on and off the pitch, but the ones off the pitch will affect them not only in soccer but also at school, around their community and even at work in the future. Brady is a leader in school and this will continue to allow him to make new friends and get higher grades. It will most likely transfer over to him being a leader in his community. Ava learned how to be confident, which is a very important skill to have in life. Everyone should have confidence and believe in themselves. If you don't believe in yourself, nobody will believe in you. As for Cole, he has learned some great skills that have improved his teamwork and ability to put others before himself, which will help in school, work and working with his neighbors and members of his community to collaboratory improve their living space. 

 

Last, I asked the players what they would say to other players considering coming into soccer, specifically, soccer at Kitchener Soccer Club. I wanted to know why the sportsmen and sportswomen felt that Kitchener Soccer Club was a good environment for not only themselves but also others wanting to become soccer players. 

 

The last thing I asked the KSC rep and academy players was what they would say to other players considering coming into soccer at Kitchener Soccer Club. I knew they enjoyed playing here themselves but wanted to know why they believed others would enjoy playing here also. 

 

Cole answered by saying “It's a very competitive environment where you are always trying to work your hardest, which I think makes it very fun”. 

 

Brady and Ava gave very similar answers. Brady went on to say “because the teams are happy and the people are nice”. Ava gave a similar answer by saying people are very nice. 

 

I think it's one thing if you like something yourself but a whole different thing if you strongly support your opinion and would recommend something to someone else. Cole said that players would enjoy Kitchener Soccer Club because it’s competitive and motivating, which as I mentioned earlier, is the best way that people learn. Ava and Brady both agreed that the people they play with and the coaches are very nice, which makes it more fun for them and would make it more fun for others. I agree with both statements. As with younger athletes, they have such a routine schedule so they learn best when they get to take a step out of their bubble but in order for them to do this, they have to be persuaded with kindness in which the athletes agree the coaches do very well. 

 

After asking all of these questions I have come to the conclusion that not only does Kitchener Soccer Club provide skills and knowledge to develop their players on the field but also off the field. The athletes learn great skills such as having a good work ethic, leadership, confidence and having the ability to put others before themselves. 

I now see that these young men and women are learning skills in the field that will help them become great members of our community. I have no doubt that they will be able to maintain the 519 area or possibly even make it better!