EVERETT — Mariana Nabor learned that kicking a soccer ball was easier with the side of her foot.
Before, she kicked with her toes.
“It hurts more when you kick it here,” she said, pointing at the tips of her old-school skateboarder shoes.
Nabor, 12, attends Evergreen Middle School. This week, she’s playing soccer in the Casino Road Futbol Academy at Walter E. Hall Park.
Her goal for camp is learning not to be afraid of the ball, she said.
The soccer camp is organized by Everett police Lt. Manuel Garcia and about 200 volunteers. Kids who come to camp hang out with cops and learn about soccer, but they also take home lessons about the importance of education and alternatives to gangs and violence.
This year, about 470 kids attended. Most came from the Casino Road neighborhood. Many received scholarships. Some of the kids are in foster care.
The volunteers who run the camp are drawn from local schools, sports groups and the community. They deserve the credit for keeping nearly 500 kids organized through a week of activities, Garcia said.
Out on the field, hundreds of kids in matching green shirts ran drills, kicking soccer balls, laughing and calling out to each other. Many of their parents watched from the field and from the parking lot.
Luz Medina laughed as Garcia and other cops dropped down and did push-ups on the field, some in full uniform, others in office attire. Medina’s 10-year-old son is attending camp, and her 14-year-old daughter is a volunteer.
“I came last year, and they totally have a lot of fun being out here,” she said. “To me, it is way better having them here having fun than bored at home watching TV.”
Her son always makes friends at camp, she said. She also likes that he gets to interact with the police.
“I know they have tough work, but look at them here,” she said. “Here, they are like kids, playing with kids. I am very, very grateful they are doing this.”
Around 2 p.m., the camp announcer started calling for everyone to come in for the day’s final briefing.
Everett police officer Butch Rockwell thanked his team and headed in. He turned a somersault in the grass along the way.
Throughout the day, the campgoers’ smaller siblings clambered on the playground equipment nearby.
Suzanna Snider-Fay recently moved to Everett. Her 9-year-old son was attending camp, but his sister was too little this year.
The soccer camp builds community, she said. Organizers set the price so families who are facing tough times can participate. She knows a lot of families with parents out of work because of the economy, she said.
After camp, kids don’t have time to get in trouble, she said. They’re too tired — and too excited for the next day.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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