Courtesy of Greg Pellegrino, Holy Family SID

Philadelphia, Pa. - The Holy Family University men's soccer team showed some area children the tricks of trade as the team put on a clinic in conjunction with the Lighthouse TopSoccer Program on Friday, Sept. 30 at Archbishop Ryan High School.
 
The TopSoccer program is a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities, which is organized by youth soccer association volunteers.  The program is designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any children, age 8-19, who has a mental or physical disability. 
 
This marks the seventh year that the Holy Family men's soccer team has worked with the kids of the Lighthouse TopSoccer program.  The two-hour clinic not only has an impact on the school children, but the student-athletes as well.  
 
"For those two hours the interaction between the student-athletes and the kids is awesome," said Holy Family men's soccer head coach Michael Bradby.  "The players realize what a privilege it is to be a student-athlete and that there are serious real life issues that go on every day and the children can forget about there disability and just be kids."
 
Members of the men's soccer team taught the kids a number of drills, including dribbling, shooting and even put together a training obstacle course for the kids to run through.
 
The parents of the children had a chance to sit back and watch their kids run around and enjoy themselves while interacting with the student-athletes. 
 
"After talking with some of the parents of the autistic children, they are so appreciative for these two hours," said Bradby.  It actually gives them time to sit down and take a breath and at the same time see their children running around playing soccer and smiling.  The parents get a chance to smile and some even have come to tears."
 
The team plans to continue this yearly tradition and work with the children of the Lighthouse TopSoccer program again next season.
 
For more information on the Lighthouse TopSoccer program visit their website at http://www.lighthousesoccer.org (.)