When Ciudad Nueva brought a youth soccer league to the Rio Grande neighborhood last fall, only one thing was missing: a middle school division. Ciudad Nueva decided to limit the league to kindergarten through fifth grade during its inaugural year, but league director Bruce Meyer plans to expand the league to include teams for middle schoolers this fall. The league, which is part of the Upward Sports organization, was the vision of Ciudad Nueva’s executive director, Sami DiPasquale, who sees it as a way to further Ciudad Nueva’s mission of building community in the Rio Grande … [Read more...]
How Soccer Is Helping Deepen Community in the Rio Grande Neighborhood
Soccer has deep roots at Ciudad Nueva Youth-serving organizations have long known that soccer is an excellent tool for connecting with kids and teaching them important life lessons. Christian organizations are no exception, with many churches and faith-based nonprofits sponsoring youth sports leagues as a way to help introduce kids and their families to the life-changing person of Jesus. It’s no surprise, then, that a youth soccer team comprised of middle school kids from Ciudad Nueva would form shortly after the organization’s founding in 2004. Tom Beeman, a Ciudad Nueva volunteer for … [Read more...]
