Diego and the Mayor

by Abby Loomis
Education Program Manager

In March, when J. Serra 4^th grader Diego raised his hand to suggest an idea for his team’s service-learning project, he didn't know that very same hand would soon be shaking that of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.

This unlikely duo came together to celebrate SHOUT! at Civic Center, where, for the first time, the Mayor honored four America SCORES teams whose service-learning projects demonstrated commitment, teamwork, and compassion.

Ironically, the J. Serra Boys team project idea emerged from a moment of intolerance: when one of Diego’s teammates suggested that they help the homeless, another asked, “But won’t they just spend that money on drugs and alcohol?” Instead of lecturing the student, J. Serra Coach Edgar took the opportunity as a teaching moment. He shared about his own friends and family members who had experienced life on the streets, and the variety of reasons that had led them to end up there.

“[The students weren't] aware of different people’s situations,” said Edgar. “It was a great opportunity to change their perspective on homelessness.”

The team eventually decided to base their project on a collaboration with Street Soccer San Francisco, a homeless soccer team who would soon be competing in New York City for a chance to play in the Homeless World Cup.  They invited Street Soccer director Rob and  two of his players, Carlos and David, to the school to run an informal practice with the J. Serra boys. As they stretched, they talked about the importance of listening and setting goals. Later, in the classroom, Carlos and David shared their stories and responded to questions from the boys.

“It was interesting,” said Diego,  “Because Carlos escaped from his house, and his family, and that’s very rough.”

After this meeting, the boys got into action. They crafted a letter describing their project and went door to door, raising a dollar for every ten toe-touches they performed. With the money the boys raised, Coach Edgar purchased soccer equipment for the new Street Soccer women’s team. The Jaguars also put their artistic talent to use by creating an enormous flag for the Street Soccer team to take with them to the tournament in New York City. 

All of this effort culminated in the SHOUT! on Tuesday, May 15^th. The J. Serra boys and girls teams, Garfield Elementary, E.R. Taylor Elementary, and Cleveland girls teams headed over in shuttle buses, answering trivia questions about the Civic Center and chattering excitedly. Then they stepped out into the blustery afternoon, where TV cameras were already setting up around City Hall. Friends, family, and City Hall staff had begun to gather, along with Street Soccer Director Rob and six Street Soccer players. Before the program began, each coach was asked to choose one student to accept the award from the mayor, and Coach Edgar chose Diego.

“I chose Diego because he has been showing lots of improvement in school, and he’s been doing really well in our after-school program and on Saturdays,” said Edgar.

They waited on the steps as the Mayor spoke to the students, telling them that they, too, could be Mayor someday, since they’ve already shown that they love their community. He went on to proclaim the day “America SCORES Bay Area Day for Sport for Change.” Finally, Coach Edgar and Diego stepped up to receive the Mayor’s Award for Civic Engagement.

Executive Director Colin Schmidt with Mayor Ed Lee

 When he accepted the award, Diego felt “nervous and happy at the same time.

“I felt really proud of how hard we prepared to make the flag and make the board,” he said.  

The Street Soccer team applauded from the sidewalk below. For a moment, it wasn’t about being homeless or housed, a kid or an adult.  It was just one big group of soccer players, in one big community, celebrating America SCORES Bay Area Day. 

SHOUT!