On a beautiful afternoon in October, a team of volunteers from Integrated Project Management (IPM) traveled to Jenner Academy of the Arts in Cabrini Green to coach Urban Initiatives’ players from Jenner and Otis Elementary for the day. While team Jenner and the volunteers waited for Otis’s bus to arrive, Jenner’s players led their new coaches through a series of warm-up stretches and team cheers. The Mustangs were in high spirits as they started scrimmaging against IPM’s volunteers, and it wasn’t long before everyone worked up a sweat.
As soon as Otis’s players arrived, they split into smaller teams, and the games started in earnest. After four weeks of practices, both teams were starting to understand how to position themselves on the field and that quick passes are much harder to defend against than one player trying to dribble across the length of the field.
IPM’s volunteers shouted encouragement from the sidelines, gave high fives for goals, and talked to their teams about sportsmanship between games. The results were clear, as the players from Jenner and Otis all ended their final games with their heads held high and smiles on their faces.
Urban Initiatives would like to thank Tanya Carlson for helping to organize the event and Integrated Project Management for supporting our players and work this fall. Hopefully we’ll see you again soon!
