While local adults and community leaders understood the true enormity of starting the countdown clock to the FIFA World Cup on June 11, the young fans gathered at the Santa Clara Youth Soccer Park best encapsulated what the Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC) and the City of Santa Clara were striving to accomplish. They just wanted to play.
After sitting quietly for the festivities, dozens of local soccer players got the chance to dribble, shoot and scrimmage with players like Shea Salinas, Chris Wondolowski, Aly Wagner and Tierna Davidson. For many of them, the day was about getting another chance to kick the ball around with their friends.
“I came out because I wanted to come see my friends again. Enjoy playing soccer again, having fun here. So far, I’m really enjoying it,” said 10-year-old Memo.
The city set up shooting and dribbling stations for the kids to enjoy and kids rushed from station to station, competing with one another for the best score. Parents trailed close behind, happy to indulge their kids’ love of the game.
“We’re here because my kid loves soccer; he loves to play soccer, and wants to be, one day, a real soccer player, a professional soccer player,” said Patricia, who brought her six-year-old son. “We are helping him to grow and get all this information so he can embrace this.”
Patricia said that for her son, meeting players who played with some of the biggest names in soccer was a thrill.
“He was amazed that one of the soccer players played with Messi and played with Ronaldo; [they] are his favorite soccer players,” said Patricia. “I think that was the most impressive for him that they can play with the persons that he knows.”
Lisa, whose nine-year-old son has played soccer for more than seven years, says she’s not sure the enormity of it has truly hit him yet.
“I don’t think he fully understands. I tried to explain to him and tell him, ‘Hey, look, this is what’s happening. This is huge. You have other countries coming here to potentially train on the field, that you train on three days a week. That’s huge.’”
Lisa says hearing from players like Salinas and Wondolowski really inspires her son to keep dreaming big.
That’s what the City of Santa Clara is hoping for.
“This World Cup will do something extraordinary for our youth soccer community. It will bring new resources, new opportunities and new inspiration,” said Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor. “More kids will want to play. More families will get involved, more dreams will take root right here in Santa Clara. The plaque we’re dedicating today isn’t just about hosting a tournament, it’s about countless young players who will be inspired to pick up a ball and start their journey.”
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