Soccer may not be as big in the U.S. as it is in other countries around the world, but Pleasanton is an exception with many local students signing up to play for their school teams or other weekend and after school leagues. But for some students, playing after school isn’t an option.
“There are a lot of kids where their skills are awesome, but due to different family situations at home, they may have to work,” said Lou Cesario, athletics director at Amador Valley High School.
That’s why the Leadership class at Amador has made a concerted effort this year to get students in this situation, many of whom are Hispanic and in the English Language Learning program, to play during lunch in the intramural soccer league. For six weeks during the winter, nearly 40 students making up eight teams of five players compete in soccer matches in the Amador gym. Through playing in the soccer league, students from different backgrounds have the chance to get to know each other and students are finding out that they have more in common with each other than they thought.
“When you play soccer, you’re forced to communicate about the rules and things like that,” said senior Eric Hong, an athletic commissioner from the leadership class. “You’re put in a room where you can interact without pressure.”
Nearly half of this year’s soccer participants are Hispanic, said senior Mike Purpura, also an athletic commissioner, adding that students of different ethnicities interact a lot more in the soccer league than they generally do in other areas of the school. A part of the league’s popularity with Hispanic students comes from the fact that soccer is such a huge sport in many Latin America countries, Hong said. Also adding interest is Francisco Lopez, the teacher for Amador’s new bilingual block class, who regularly attends the games with his students, and sometimes he even plays, too. And, of course, because soccer is just fun.
“I really like the sport and I haven’t had a chance to play in like two years,” said sophomore Jesus Martinez who plays goalie and offense for his team. Keeping the games light is a goal of the athletic department, which is why the teams don’t compete in a tournament or for a final prize—it’s all just for fun.
Intramural sports are a staple on high school campuses, especially closed campuses like Amador, because school officials feel the need to provide students with activities during the lunch period, Cesario said. At Amador, the athletic department also offers intramural badminton and basketball leagues, but soccer tends to be the most popular sport, Purpura said.
“Soccer is always popular in PE classes or intramurals,” Cesario said. “It’s just one of those games.”
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