HARRISON, NJ – On Thursday afternoon, underprivileged kids from around the area visited Red Bull Arena and got a chance to learn from and interact with Red Bulls defender Jan Gunnar Solli, defender Stephen Keel, midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy, and goalkeeper Alex Horwath as a part of MSG Dream Week and the Garden of Dreams Foundation.
The afternoon started with the 40 children from Brooklyn’s SCO Family of Services receiving a tour of Red Bull Arena before sitting down to enjoy some pizza. After lunch, the kids received lessons on how a Red Bulls’ television broadcast works from MSG’s Tina Cervasio, Shep Messing, and Steve Cangialosi.
After learning the tricks and trade of broadcasting, the day concluded with the kids getting an opportunity to talk with Red Bull players while they participated in several different activities which were designed give the kids a chance to see a different side of soccer.
“I think the main thing we need to do is show them the game in a fun way,” said Ballouchy. “I think when they see it like that, they want to play and they’ll end up getting better. The next thing you know, they’re soccer players.”
The different games and skills that were taught to the kids included basic skills such as how to shoot, dribble, and even eventually how to juggle. Solli noticied how quickly many of the kids warmed up to the game.
“You can see some of them were really into basketball, but still they wanted to try and experience soccer skills. It was a great thing. After a while they got the hang of it,” said Solli.
Along with exposing the kids to the game of soccer, Ballouchy noted how important it is for someone to be there for kids who have struggled with different obstacles throughout their lives such as poverty, illness, or homelessness.
“I was just the same as these kids. I never had the chance to join the big teams. It is important for me to do this, since someone did the same thing for me,” said Ballouchy.
Solli also talked about the importance of the Red Bulls partaking in events like MSG Dream Week.
“These kinds of charities are great. These kids get to see something different and come out of their environment,” said Solli. “It is awesome to see the kids lighting up when we try and introduce new things to do them.”
Along with the opportunity to get a first-hand look at the Red Bulls, Dream Week will provide the kids with a chance to participate in activities such as clinics with the New York Knicks and Rangers, attend a pre-game shoot around with the New York Liberty, and to receive tennis lessons from United States Tennis Association pros.
MSG Dream Week was made possible through the efforts the not-for-profit charity Garden of Dreams Foundation, which since 2006 has worked with MSG and New York area franchises to make dreams come true for local kids who are facing obstacles. For more information on the Garden of Dreams Foundation or on MSG Dream Week visit http://www.gardenofdreamsfoundation.org/.
