September, how I loathe thee!!!

There is something wicked about the month of September. For reasons unknown, the ninth month has always been the month of a thousand events. Well, let me fill you in: we recently had our annual Scores Cup on 9/23 at the Home Depot Center. This was the first year we invited some of our elementary school students to play and they had a blast, especially when it was them versus their parents...a tale as old as time. Tomorrow marks the inaugural game day for the 12-13 season. I know, for a fact, that the students at Charnock, Palms, and Braddock elementary schools are vibrating in their classes from the excitement. Finally, on Saturday, 9/29, is the World Record Breaking Soccer dribble that america Scores LA will be a part of. The event is from 2-4 and the actual Dribble starts at 3 at Palms Elementary. It costs one dollar to participate so sign up here: http://www.americascores.org/soccerdribble/la

We hope to see all your happy, shining faces there. LA Scores out!!!!

One Month Down...

We have been in school for about one month and here is what I think so far: the collection of kids participating in our program are awesome, the coaches have been spectacular when dealing with their duties and responsibilities, and the actual program has been running particularly well. We do have a busy month coming up. The Corporate Scores Cup is taking place on Sept 23 at the Home Depot Center. This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, so we would love to see a lot of friendly faces out there. On Sept 29, all of the Scores sites around the nation will join together to break the world record for most people dribbling a soccer ball at the same time. The Los Angeles Edition is to be held at Palms Elementary School at 3 pm. Bring the family and come be a part of history. Coach Armond and Coach Dre went to Boston to learn new and better ways to be a coach (as if they could get any better than they already are). They have returned filled with new ideas and practices to help LA Scores become a better program. There is a pic with Coach Armond and many other LA coaches who work for several programs located around the city: A World Fit for Kids, Brotherhood Crusade, and Kids in Sports. The start date for the LA Scores soccer season is on 9/19. We look forward to starting our programs at Palms and Braddock Elementary. This update has been brought to you by the LA Scores staff.

A Compendium of Events

So much has happened over this past week. The biggest, without a doubt, is the early start of the LAUSD school year. Tomorrow will be the last day of the first week of school, and the first week of LA Scores programming at Charnock. We are off to a wonderful start so far and can hardly hold our enthusiasm for all that this years promises to bring. And now, for a bit of sad news...today is the final day for our Americorps VISTA Shannon Huang. It is hard to believe that she has already completed her year of service with LA Scores, but time waits for no man (or woman). Shannon is off to Pittsburgh, where she will be attending Carnegie Mellon University as a graduate student studying Arts Management. We have no doubts that she will do wonderful things in the future, but she will be sorely missed and impossible to replace. Now for a bit of good news...Coach Armond Richards has decided to stay on for another year as a member of Coach Across America. Coach Armond is, to put it modestly, the most awesome coach to ever blow a whistle. LA Scores is excited to have him continue his involvement in the program and look forward to all he will contribute in the coming year. Lastly, it is Coach Dre's birthday today. He is getting older, so when you see him, shout HAPPY BIRTHDAY as loud as you can to make sure he will be able to hear you. That is all. Go forth and be merry.

Summer...byebye

Can you believe there is only a week left for the summer? LAUSD begins the 12-13 school year on August 14. That's next Tuesday!!! Enjoy those precious sunshine moments, for they never last.

LA Scores FFL

This Friday, LA Scores will have the draft for its 1st Fantasy Football League. As of now, we have 8 teams signed up to play including ED David Joseph. The winner will get a prize, but we have yet to come up with an award. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to drop us a line. Please keep in mind that we are a nonprofit and the economy being what it is, we cannot afford to send the winner on a cruise to Greece or anything. But gift certificates to a delicious restaurant or the movies or amazon...thats what im talking about.

Thank You Fire Station 43!!!

Today at the elementary camp, we received a visit from the firefighters from Station 43 located on Motor Ave. They drove their truck right onto the play area at Palms Elementary School and showed the enraptured students all of the various equipment needed to combat that most insatiable element, fire. After the firefighting tutorial, the students were allowed to sit inside the truck to see all the many buttons and contraptions installed on the fire engine. Finally, the firefighters brought out the hose and each kid received a turn turning on and turning off the hose. Lots of smile and a perpetual rainbow as a result of the visit from Engine 43. What a day.

Alumni Coaching Team and CoachArt

CoachArt, a nonprofit organization based in LA, has the expressed mission of providing arts and recreational activities to children and adolescents with chronic and/or life-threatening illnesses. For several years now, America Scores LA has partnered with CoachArt to provide a variety of soccer activities for many of the those involved with CoachArt. Today and Thursday, our Alumni Coaching Team will go to CoachArt and run a soccer clinic for the children there. I do no believe I need to spell out the benefits of this relationship, whether they are practical or sentimental. The only thing I am certain of is that when good people get together, good things happen.