On a hot, sunny Saturday in April, kids from the community took to the field with Duke Soccer. Both the men’s and women’s teams came out for this special event, hosted by the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development in partnership with Duke Athletics. With one-on-one instruction from these NCAA student-athletes, the kids practiced soccer skills including dribbling, passing, goal scoring, and a scrimmage.
Some participants arrived with soccer experience, ready to build their skills with elite college players. Others were eager to learn more about the world’s most popular sport, with the men’s FIFA World Cup set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico in June and July of this year.
The autism center has previously coordinated sports clinics with Duke Basketball and Baseball, but this event marks the first time that both men’s and women’s team members participated in the same event together
"It's a great opportunity for our players to understand kids with different challenges. Seeing their interactions, their patience, and the impact on the kids has been such a positive force for everyone here. We're thrilled to have one day to make an impact like this."
- Duke Men's Soccer head coach John Kerr
"Barriers to participating in mainstream soccer leagues are high, but having this inclusive event has been wonderful for building confidence. He started out not wanting to participate, but with the student-athletes and staff coordinating, he's participating now. It's really wonderful."
- Parent of a participant
"We're excited to collaborate and support a great cause. Especially for the student-athletes to work with kids with different needs."
- Kieran Hall, head coach of Duke Women's Soccer
"What an opportunity for so many families to have community, to come spend time together, with people who understand. And all these college kids are awesome!"
- Nathan Copeland, MD, MPH, a psychiatrist in the Duke Autism Clinic
"It's great to be able to give to the community. We hope we're giving the kids a great day out. We all love it."
- Men's team captain Ulfur Bjornsson, a junior forward from Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
"It's been a great experience. Very fun to see everyone so enthusiastic. Thanks to Duke University for making this possible and giving this opportunity to kids with disabilities like my son to follow their dreams."
- Parent of a participant
"It's a really special, impactful time. They get to play, we get to help them have a good time and learn from them. You see them smile, and then you see the smiles on our faces."
- Women's team captain Mia Minestrella, a senior forward from Redondo Beach, CA
See more phots from this special event in the gallery below.
Thanks to Duke Women's and Men's Soccer and all the volunteers who made this event possible!
Due to limited space, and to maintain a structured small group setting, only a limited number of families were invited to participate. To find out about limited-invitation events, sign up for our Autism Research Registry and Connections Newsletter.
Soccer Spectacular Photo Gallery
