There was no dampening the spirits of the Chicago Fire or their Little Village fanbase Saturday at the fifth annual Practice In The Community, presented by the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health).
The steady rains that doused the late stages of the Fire's 1-0 win over NYCFC Friday night continued into the morning hours. But more than 400 passionate fans braved the elements to get an up-close look at the Men In Red as they held a recovery training session at the Gary/Ortiz School on the city's South Side. So too did community leaders such as 22nd Ward Alderman Rick Munoz and City Clerk of Chicago -- and former collegiate soccer standout -- Susana Mendoza.
<script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153340461949789.1073741965.20210009788&type=1"><p>Saturday, April 25, 2015 -- Little Village</p>
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chicagofire">Chicago Fire</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153340461949789.1073741965.20210009788&type=1">Saturday, 25 April 2015</a></blockquote> |
"To me, soccer taught me discipline, taught me teamwork, taught me to be a leader," Mendoza said, "so many of the qualities that have helped me be successful in life started because of my love and passion for soccer."
The Fire made the most of their chance to further their already-strong ties with the Little Village community and Gary/Ortiz School, where since last July the Chicago Fire Soccer Club has activated the community-based Premier Skills program. Originally launched in 2007, the initiative uses the powerful brand and expertise of the Premier League and the global reach of the British Council to help marginalized youth develop skills and tackle a variety of social issues.
Premier Skills participants, who gather at the Gary/Ortiz School on a weekly basis to learn from the Fire's Soccer In The Community coaching staff, followed the Men In Red onto the pitch Saturday for a training session of their own.
See more from the fifth annual Practice In The Community in the video above.
