The CSU East Bay men’s soccer team hosted a free soccer clinic Sunday for over 80 youth. They were given a unique opportunity to learn from college athletes, which in turn allowed the athletes to give back.

As the soccer team faced their final opponent of the spring season in UC Davis, before they took the field, they took the occasion to give back and have some fun.

“I think it’s important not only for the community to be at our campus but for our athletes to engage in the community as well,” said East Bay Marketing Director Tenaya Davis, who helped put on the event.

“In the soccer community, it’s a great opportunity because there are so many youth teams in the surrounding Bay Area,” said Davis. “To have them come to our campus, get a one of a kind experience interaction with our team and just really have a fun day just makes all the kids feel special.”

Children ranging from 4 to 12 years of age spent an hour going through drills as well as scrimmaging. These activities were coached by the men’s soccer team and assisted by the women’s soccer team.

The children and the soccer teams had a healthy lunch together in special seats provided for them in the stands. They were given a free East Bay t-shirt and an East Bay water bottle.

All of the kids were encouraged to stay and watch the CSUEB men’s team take on Division I opponent UC Davis, which resulted in a tie.

The goal of the day was for the soccer team and the children to have fun while also serving the community.

“We wanted to provide a free opportunity for the local youth players to come and play,” said Head Coach Andy Cumbo. “We’ll train them, we’ll teach them some instruction and give them an opportunity to work with our college players too.”

The children got a unique opportunity to gain a role model they can look to as an example to see how they can balance soccer life and education at the same time.

“When we are dealing with kids of this age, its extra special when you get that one on one attention with a college athlete,” said Davis, who played four years of soccer at CSUEB. “For a lot of these kids its like meeting a celebrity.”

“It’s the same thing when you meet someone that is so much bigger than you and they play your sport, it makes it special,” he said.

This is not the first time that they have done something like this. In the fall season they conducted a youth soccer day, which had around 300 attendees.

Although this was a very different event because of the hands on nature of the event and the coaching that the children received.

Cumbo felt that it was more than just teaching the children; it was also about giving back to the game that has been such a large part of his and his players’ lives.

“The game has given me everything in my life and the same thing for my players,” said Cumbo. “We really work hard, I work hard, to always respect the game but give back to the game as much as possible so everything is free for everybody here and we are happy to do it. No one is making us do it but I feel a sense of obligation back to the game, to do activities like this.”

The children were not the only ones to get something out of the free day of playing and watching soccer. The CSUEB soccer players learn through activities like this to always remember the most important about the game they have dedicated so much of their lives to.

“Fun,” said goal keeper Kramer Gudgeon. “It gives us a chance to get away from the very serious side of competition and remember that soccer is fun, with our group we get to be little kids again and we get to have fun.”