Behrend TOPSoccer Celebrates Tenth Year of Assisting Special Needs Children

For the past ten years, spring semester Wednesday evenings have been special times in the Junker Center.  The TOPSoccer program is celebrating its tenth season of its community-based program aimed at giving special needs children the chance to learn and play soccer.  The program was developed by U.S. Youth Soccer and implemented at Behrend by Penn State Behrend soccer coach Dan Perritano and former women's soccer coach Patrick O'Driscoll in 2001.  In the first year the program began with 12 players, but has seen substantial growth over the years, impacting hundreds of children.  This year, 65 children will participate over the eight weeks of the program.

Perritano said, "This program would not have been a success without the immense support from Behrend student-athletes, the general student body, and the Erie community.The response from the special needs community and the Behrend community has been outstanding.  We would not be able to continue accommodating so many without the support of all our volunteers and the Behrend athletic department."

This year the volunteers come from the men's and women's soccer teams, student-athletes from other Behrend athletic teams, and other Behrend students.

The program, which begins each year with the Wednesday after spring break, pairs a volunteer with a special needs child.  Each week from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. the children participate in basic soccer skills and small sided games as well as other activities.  Other features of the program are the sibling swim program, a speaker series for parents of special needs children, and the end-of-season awards ceremony and pizza party.

In addition to the volunteers who attend each week, the program has also had vital support from the East Erie Kiwanis Club and the Sertoma Club of Erie.  In addition to helping fund the speaker series and awards ceremony, the support of the sponsoring organizations also helps to provide a T-shirt and soccer ball for each participant, and a T-shirt for all volunteers.

"The aid provided by our generous sponsors has allowed TOPSoccer to grow into a quality program that makes a difference in the special needs community.  We're very greatful for our sponsors, the volunteers, and the Behrend campus for such tremendous support," said Perritano.