Oct. 24, 2014
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State Aztec men's soccer team will welcome Youth And Leaders Living Actively (YALLA) participants to serve as ball boys and ball girls for the Aztecs' home match against No. 14 California on Thursday, Oct. 30 at SDSU Sports Deck.
YALLA is a nonprofit organization created five years ago to help refugee and immigrant youth rebuild their lives through education and soccer, with the goal of sending them to college. The program helps kids with their homework and attempts to get them acclimated to their grade level in a new country.
The program has its participants spend an equal amount of time on the soccer field and in the classroom, but is essentially like any other soccer club. YALLA is Cal South registered, as it both hosts and travels to games, but also makes it mandatory players participate in their education academy. The boys and girls teams practice 3-4 times a week and compete in tournaments year-round.
The program's high-school students meet weekly to learn about diverse subjects ranging from study habits to career exploration, as well as assisting them through the college application process. They work together to find scholarships, grants, financial aid and internships that help facilitate their successful pursuit of higher education, in addition to putting them through intensive preparation for the SAT.
YALLA also trains its older students to become coaches and mentors for younger participants, helping them with opportunities to play soccer and enjoy a normal childhood.
San Diego State (7-8, 1-4 Pac-12) has only two more home matches remaining this season, as the Aztecs have already surpassed their win total in 2013 with four regular-season contests left to play. SDSU's road match against Washington on Sunday, Oct. 26, will be its eighth match against a ranked opponent, as the Pac-12 is the top-ranked RPI conference in the country based on winning percentage (.670).