DEDEDO, GUAM (March 10, 2017) –  The second season of E-soccer on Guam kicks off this Saturday, March 11^thfrom 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the Dededo Sports Complex Soccer Field in Harmon with team orientation activities and the first scrimmages.

E-soccer, a ministry of the Guam Christian Church, is an all-volunteer sports program where children with special needs and “typical” children – ages 4 to 18 years – play alongside one another on the same team.  Inclusion and community are its fundamental goals.

Ten teams totaling sixty players, along with over thirty coaches and junior coaches will take to the field in weekly scrimmages every Saturday afternoon until the end of the 8-week season on April 29^th.

Emphasizing inclusiveness in sports, E-Soccer partners typically developing children and special needs children alongside each other in various athletic capacities. The program’s core philosophy is turning traditional notions of what makes a successful sports program on its head.  Rather than personal success and skill performance, it is diversity and inclusion that make excellent athletes and winning teams.   In E-Soccer, the child who is considered a “winner” is the one who strives to make the group successful and not just themselves.

Each individual E-Soccer group consists of a head coach, assistant head coach, and a combination of personal or junior coaches as needed. Children are placed in a group according to age, ability, and individual goals in a way to provide optimal group learning and individual participation.

Apart from the clear rewards for children with special needs, E-Soccer fills a gap in character education and training that is often not central enough in typical schools and athletic programs.  For all coaches and children in E-Soccer, the inclusive environment teaches and trains special qualities of heart and character education: empathy, compassion, leadership, and selfless service, just to name a few.

Teenagers and middle school students have a great opportunity to serve as junior coaches and mentors in E-Soccer. This experience provides a special flavor of community involvement that will prepare them for leadership roles in high school, college, and on into their professional lives.

E-Soccer’s Spring 2017 season is made possible by generous donations from these community-minded sponsors:  Coast 360, Wendy’s, C2 Social, Calvo’s Insurance, Cost u Less, DcSigns, Department of Parks & Recreation, Guahan Insurance, One-Stop Auto Care & Tire Outlet, and Tan Holdings.

About E-Soccer Guam

Guam’s Spring 2017 E-Soccer season runs from March 11^th through April 29^th 2017 at the Dededo Sports Complex soccer field in Harmon.  E-Soccer partners typically developing children and special needs children alongside each other in various athletic capacities.  The program’s core philosophy is that diversity and inclusion make excellent athletes and winning teams.   For all coaches and children in E-Soccer, the inclusive environment teaches and trains special qualities of heart and character education: empathy, compassion, leadership, and selfless service, just to name a few.  Started in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2000, E-sports programs have revolutionized and pioneered the inclusive sports philosophy and have made an impact on special needs and typical families around the world.  On Guam, E-soccer was inaugurated in the Fall of 2016, and is a ministry of the Guam Christian Church.  For more information visithttp://guamchristianchurch.org/?page_id=294 .  For inquiries, call Brian McMillan at 482-0577, or email esoccerguam@gmail.com.

PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY: