Daily Archives: October 22, 2012

KIN in the Community: e-Soccer, Physical Activity, Disabled Populations, and Community Engagement

by Danika Ziemer

E-Soccer kicked off this past Saturday morning! For those of you who have never heard of E-Soccer, it’s a program designed for able-bodied children as well as those with

Coaches and players learning teamwork

special needs. Children as young as two years old to those in their mid-teens come out to the field for an hour every Saturday. E-Soccer is held in ten different locations in Northern California and one location in Las Vegas. The program is now global with sites in India and Kenya. At the Sunnyvale location, students at SJSU join with students from Santa Clara University to lead the 5-6 year old children in various adapted drills and games to improve the children’s soccer and teamwork skills. The kids, and coaches, have a blast playing games on “Soccer Island” or “Soccer Spaceship.”

E-Soccer is based on inclusion, which is vital for children to learn at such a young age. It’s incredible to see how well children and special needs children learn to interact and work with each other so quickly. Some kids need a one-on-one coach to help them through the program, but all of the kids work together and cheer each other on throughout the practice. These kids are so energetic and silly that it’s impossible not to have a good time on the field. I have been a coach at E-Soccer for almost a year now. I can safely say that those kids have made a larger impact on my life than I could ever possibly make on theirs, and I’m sure the other coaches would agree. I definitely believe that every student should come and check out the program.

We could always use more coaches, so if you’re interested in getting involved, e-mail the Kin Ambassadors Club at sjsukinambassadors@gmail.com. You can also check out the website at www.e-soccer.org.

Players on the move. Soccer and health.

Student Blog Series: Managing the Transition from Undergraduate to Graduate Student

by Hillary Barnes.

The transition from undergraduate student at SJSU to graduate student at Chapman University has certainly been interesting. Academically, the Kinesiology Department at SJSU did a phenomenal job preparing me for the DPT program. Many of the courses I took at SJSU were either right on par or a great stepping-stone to the courses I am taking now. While at SJSU, I griped about having to take prerequisite courses, but looking back, I am grateful to have taken so many unique courses within the department. Many classes, like biomechanics or adapted physical education, are not requirements for PT school, but have helped prepare me for the rigors of graduate school.

The biggest change I have dealt with since being admitted to graduate school is the time commitment. At SJSU, I was able to take a full course load, work part time, be involved in extracurricular activities, and still had time for friends and family. Now, I barely have time to exercise, let alone have a social life! I spend a lot of time studying, but I am learning about material that is interesting and exciting, and I have made great friends in the process.

That said, the best decision I made in regards to transitioning from SJSU to PT school was to take time off. I spent a year working and traveling to see my friends and extended family, and that was the best decision I could have made. It gave me time to decompress and get ready for the next chapter. Grad school is awesome, but it is hard work, and if I hadn’t had that time to relax, I think I would be burnt out by now. The good news is that school goes by fast, I can’t believe I am already ½ way done with the PT program. I feel like I was just recently scrambling to get classes at SJSU!

GO SPARTANS!