June 6, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Memphis 901 FC News Release
It can happen quickly.
Tyler Deric pulled up to Memphis Scholars South Campus on W Olive Ave in early April not knowing he’d have new mentees and a new nickname four weeks later. Coach Tarzan, as the children scream when he walks through the door, volunteered for the entirety of Memphis 901 FC’s weekly visit program with Memphis Scholars.
Memphis Scholars is public charter schools network offering students in North and South Memphis high-quality education from Pre-K through eighth grade.
After just four sessions of learning the basics and playing with the pros, students are asking their instructors to start organized teams to practice and play after school.
“That’s just kind of the natural process,” said Deric. “You come out here with some soccer balls and the kids have fun and want to do it more. It’s just a special thing that we’re able to do, opening these kids up for new opportunities and I think that’s a great thing. It’s a big smile on the kids face when they see a familiar face and that’s really nice.”
Memphis Scholars saw their kids gravitate toward players during reading visits last school year and approached the club for continued visits, this time working to introduce kids to the game of soccer on the field.
901 FC, All In
Every Wednesday for a month, players and staff took an hour to meet the kids, run through soccer drills and speak about the benefits and fun of soccer before donating equipment like balls and cones to practice their new skills everyday.
“It’s great being able to have these programs where we can bring the resources to the kids instead of the kids having to find the resources,” said Memphis Scholars Director of Instructional Support Laura Sanders said. “We have parents that work nights or have different duties so being able to bring those things to the kids is really important so they can get exposure to all different sports or activities. When we can bring it to them it allows more of our students to thrive.”
When the initiative was presented, every single player signed on. The entire roster was eager to introduce new avenues for extracurricular sports beyond football or basketball and help students in the community express themselves.
“We do have a soccer unit but I can only teach them the very basics,” Memphis Scholars Physical Ed. Teacher Anna Murphy said. “Getting to expand on those soccer skills, they love it. Also getting to meet new…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at OurSports Central Outdoor Soccer News…