Help me give my students one last memorable elementary school experience that they will never forget!
FULLY FUNDED! Coach Cruz's classroom raised $346
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
My student athletes are from the Southeast side of Chicago. They are inner city students with love and passion for the game of soccer. Our school's soccer program is highly competitive, while instilling a fun atmosphere and enforcing good sportsmanship. We teach our student athletes how to be leaders and prepare them for whatever lies ahead.
We pride ourselves in instilling to our student athletes the importance of excelling both on and off the field.
We encourage our student athletes to be just as excited about helping the community as they are for soccer, venturing out and helping at local food pantries and other community events.
What makes my players special is that despite overwhelming odds growing up in a tough neighborhood on the South side of Chicago, they maintain their energy and love for the sport of soccer; there is no challenge they will not take head on.
My Project
I enjoy working in the school that I am because I can relate and connect with my students on a personal level. I grew up playing in the same streets and parks, shop at the same stores, and experienced the same struggles and hardships they go through living in a tough, inner-city neighborhood on the Southside of Chicago. Riddled by violence and other senseless distractions, our community can be a very challenging place, but at the same time we must teach our youth to stick together and persevere, because in the end, this is our home.
For me, the best part about coaching is providing an alternative for these young athletes and opening their eyes to new experiences.
On top of how to be top performers on the field, I teach my players how to be top performers off the field too. Towards the middle of this season, our players participated in our local community Halloween "Trunk-or-Treat," passing out candy to younger children and being positive role-models for them.
Upon the conclusion of our indoor soccer season, I would like to celebrate these young athletes and our great season with a team trip to Sky Zone Trampoline Park. For many of our youth, this would be their first time going to this park, it would be a great eye-opening experience for them and an opportunity for them to bond with their fellow teammates. It is also a great way to use their gross motor skills-like jumping and running. For our graduating 8th graders that are on the team, it would be a great last blast to remember their elementary years. Let's help these awesome and fearless young athletes venture out of the neighborhood for a change, forget about all the bad things, and just be kids.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Coach Cruz and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
