In-School Soccer & Wellness Programs

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Our Program Approach

  • Small group instruction to encourage participation (i.e. small-sided soccer/futsal games of 6-8 students to maximize ball touches and interaction);
  • Team building activities that promote teamwork, inclusion, cooperation, and communication;
  • Other interactive fitness, and recreational activities that get kids moving while promoting the importance of physical activity;  
  • Consistent messaging throughout the program that reinforces positive behaviors
  • Build positive mentor-mentee, or coach-player, relationships by providing positive messaging and support to all participants;
  • Offer clear and concise instructions to ensure safety and fun for all
  • Help promote confidence and self-esteem for children, regardless of skill level; and
  • Express enthusiasm and passion for materials and activities, sports, and fitness.

Partnerships

  • Arlington Elementary & Middle School
  • The Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence
  • The Merrimack Valley YMCA-Lawrence
  • Guilmette Elementary School
  • Guilmette Middle School
  • Bruce Middle School
  • Community Day Arlington
  • Esperanza Academy
  • Hennessy Elementary School
  • Lahey Middle School
  • Parthum Middle School

School Day Health & Wellness Impact Data

Our Covid-19 and Post-Covid Efforts Bringing "Play" Back in the Schools!

We are BACK in the schools in 2023, running futsal (small-sided soccer) and fitness programs at the Arlington School for 5th-8th graders two times a week. Chris Marin and 2 other Coach Mentors are bringing this program to the schools and donating their time to introduce more deserving kids to sports!

During the 2021/2022 School-Year, our in-school program efforts ensured kids benefitted from soccer, futsal, and volleyball in 3 Lawrence Public Schools, including the Wetherbee, Arlington, and Parthum Middle Schools. That was the first time we were back in the schools since pre-pandemic.  For example, in 2018, our Soccer, Team-Building, Fitness & Nutrition Programs provided 35.5 hours of weekly activity in 8 schools. Those partnerships help us strengthen our community relationships and enable us to continue recruiting and connecting students from these locations into our more concentrated after-school programs, and summer camps!

We pushed the City for the green light to ensure kids who had been sidelined got the chance to play!! That meant in the summer of 2021, partnering with the Community Group’s Latchkey Enrichment and 21st Century programs for volleyball, futsal, fitness, and team-building in 7 schools every weekday. These in-school efforts also engaged 8 Lawrence hires through our #LeadershipThroughSports & Summer Coach Mentor program. It also meant running a 2-week Girls-in-Sports program with Esperanza Academy, staffed by 2 female alumni, Oriagna & Patricia, who grew up in our programs and credit sports for much of their college and early career successes.

Our History in the Schools

Since 2012, following the Lawrence Public School being put into state receivership, Beyond Soccer has stepped up to enhance kids’ school-day experiences by providing in-school sports and enrichment programs. Our first in-school program was run at the Guilmette Elementary & Middle School in September 2012, reaching hundreds of kids weekly through our Soccer & Wellness Programs developed by former Health & Wellness Director, Lindsey McArdle. Here is a sampling of that curriculum from more than a decade ago! Since then more than 3,000 youth have benefited from small group instruction, team play, fitness, team-building and nutrition education with most of these experiences being run by former players.