With soccer continuing to grow in popularity across the United States, one D.C.-area school district is set to pilot a program in which elite-level coaches will teach the sport during its physical education classes.

Starting this fall, more than 1,300 second graders at all 14 elementary schools in Alexandria City Public Schools will receive soccer lessons from professional soccer coaches for two weeks. Called “Soccer IN School,” the training program will be a part of the students’ PE classes, thanks to a $200,000 grant over three years given by the U.S. Soccer Federation.

The coaches will come from the Alexandria Soccer Association, which provides youth recreational and club-level opportunities for children in the Virginia city.

Johnatan Nunez, the soccer association’s outreach and school programs manager, told WTOP that the students will also be introduced to referees and the rules of the sport.

Students will receive a “Soccer Skills Challenge” packet with a soccer ball, jersey and information on continuing to play the sport through the organization’s recreational or academy programs.

“Some kids may have never played soccer before. Some kids have played soccer all their lives. It’s the sport they only know,” Nunez said. He hopes students come in “with an open mind and being ready to learn something new, and in the end, just feel excited about getting to play the sport.”

Since the soccer lessons are part of regular PE classes, no additional forms or permissions will be required. The coaches’ visits will be spread out throughout the academic year so each school will have equal time.

According to a news release, the PE teacher will also participate in the classes while receiving special training from the U.S. Soccer coaching education program.

In addition to the second graders receiving the lessons, ACPS Health and PE Instructional Specialist Kristin Donley said the rest of the student body will also benefit.

“They will also be giving the PE teachers as sort of a curriculum guide or a unit guide that can be adapted to other grade levels too,” she said of the Alexandria Soccer Association.

The school system and ASA already have a partnership, with the soccer organization hosting multiple after-school clinics and some PE takeovers at different schools throughout the year. Now, with the grant, Nunez said that their relationship will be strengthened with more specific programming for students in an age range who desire more structure in their athletics.

“We want to professionalize it and make it kind of more of a standard where we’re at every school every year, and it’s something that even beyond the three years we want to continue to do,” Nunez said.

Katie Brooks of the Alexandria Soccer Association said the classes and how they are phased into Alexandria City schools would also become a model for how U.S. Soccer would like to carry similar programs in other districts around the country.

“We know this would be scaled nationwide,” Brooks said. “And so, we’re going to do the best we can do here to kick things off.”

For some students, it will be their first time participating in the sport. However, Donley said the coaches will devise kid-friendly drills that focus on more than just their soccer-playing abilities.

“Helping students build their confidence and their team building skills and working with others, and the cooperation piece,” she said. “It’s not just about soccer; it’s about all of those other pieces as well.”

The grant also pays for player appearances during the sessions. With the D.C. region home to multiple professional and semipro teams, the opportunities of bringing someone that will motivate the students are endless, Donley said. She would prefer someone local who may have gone through the ACPS system to be brought in.

Nunez agreed but said the opportunity for students to meet their hero and even get an autograph could motivate a child to continue pursuing their soccer dreams. He quickly named Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman as a potential option, telling WTOP the forward and any of her teammates are welcome to spend time with the students.

“We would love to have her come out and encourage our girls to (see) how big they can be in the world,” Nunez said.

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