On November 6, a team of Corporate Coaches from IMC Financial Markets brought some soccer expertise to the Urban Initiatives teams from Morrill Elementary, Lee Elementary, Reavis Elementary, and National Teachers Academy. It was difficult to tell who was more excited—the coaches or the players—as the two groups warmed up together, and the excitement continued to build as the first games started.
IMC’s volunteers moved up and down the sidelines, clapping as their teams’ goalkeepers made great saves, cheering for great teamwork, and encouraging players to try again after near misses. Many of IMC’s coaches play soccer in their spare time, so Urban Initiatives’ players had an awesome opportunity to hear from people with years of experience on the soccer pitch.
After three great games, the players and coaches came together for group conversations about dedication, and IMC’s volunteers encouraged the players to work as hard in the classroom as they had worked on the field.
“IMC has been such an incredible supporter of our work over the past few years,” said Jim Dower, Urban Initiatives’ Co-founder and Executive Director. “We are so fortunate to have partners like IMC who make our work possible on a large scale and take our events to the next level with great volunteers.” Thank you to IMC, Lisa Wiersma, and Krista Blatt for making our week 8 game day an awesome one!