On Sunday, April 21st Northwestern hosted Loyola, DePaul and UIC for the annual and always thrilling Chicago Cup. The college coaches invited the Urban Initiatives soccer teams from Jenner, Gunsaulus, Greene and Tarkington to not just watch the exciting matches but to partake in a pre-game World Cup Walk and halftime soccer skills drills with the college players. It was truly an unforgettable experience for the kids!
The kids were amazed by the level of skill, hustle and sportsmanship that the college players displayed throughout the tournament. The college players are the definition of what it means to be a "student-athlete" and they represent positive role models for the Urban Initiatives kids to look up to.
A huge thank you goes out to Loyola’s Coach Jones, Northwestern’s Coach Lenahan and Assistant Coach Babst, DePaul’s Coach Blazer and UIC’s Coach Phillips for bringing our kids to the Chicago Cup. The coaches went the extra mile by covering a significant portion of the busing costs to get our kids all the way up to the beautiful Lakeside Field in Evanston. Their generosity shows that these distinguished coaches are committed not just to the decorated teams they coach, but also to the larger Chicago community including the ever-grateful Urban Initiaitives youth!
You can see more photos HERE!