Last Friday, a team of eight brightly-dressed volunteers from Groupon left the office early, walked down the street, and met the kids from Jenner Academy and Nobel Elementary at Seward Park.
Groupon’s team, many of whom have been volunteering at Friday afternoon games for the past few years, recognized lots of familiar faces on the Jenner squad, and Jenner’s players were happy to exchange high fives and tell their old friends that fourth grade really isn’t that much more work than third. Both Jenner and Groupon gave the Nobel players a warm welcome as they got off the bus, and the two teams got ready for an awesome afternoon.
After a quick warm-up, Urban Initiatives’ coaches split the players into small teams, and the kids took the field for their first game of the day. Nobel’s team is well known for their methodic passing, and Jenner’s players can be counted on for quick bursts of speed and long distance shots on goal. Both sides lived up to their reputations, and Groupon’s coaches spent the game running up and down the sidelines, blowing their whistles for goals scored, and encouraging lots of examples of good sportsmanship.
“We’ve seen Jenner’s players grow up and get better and better at soccer each year,” said returning coach Bill. “They’re an awesome group, and they did a great job of welcoming Nobel’s players for a friendly match.”
We couldn’t agree more! Thanks to the awesome team at Groupon for supporting our players year after year, and a big thanks to Bill Bustin and Nick Gauna for taking the plunge and joining Urban Initiatives’ awesome Junior Board!
