The Joys of Being a TOPSoccer Buddy

By Lily Young

I began working as Jackson’s TOPSoccer Buddy when he was in first grade and I was in 8th grade. This fall will mark our fifth year playing together. TOPSoccer has been, without a doubt, one of my favorite things I’ve ever been part of here in Cranford, and I encourage any athlete in town to become a buddy.

TOPSoccer is a program that pairs kids who need extra support with a volunteer buddy, so that every child has an opportunity to learn and play soccer at their own pace. Per the Cranford Soccer Club’s website the goal of the program “is to enable these athletes to develop their fitness, technical skills, courage, and self-esteem, through the joy and excitement of playing soccer.”

This description, however, does not do enough to illustrate the joys of working as a buddy here in Cranford. I can’t attest to other buddies’ experiences or the experience of players or parents, so I’ll share only my own experience as a buddy.

My buddy, Jackson, is, first off, one of the coolest kids I’ve ever met. He’s curious, enthusiastic, and eager to learn. He’s kind and funny and always has a fun fact on hand.

Every single player at TOPSoccer, not just my own buddy, reminds me why I fell in love with soccer to begin with. It is, at the end of the day, about community. TOPSoccer is a team like any other. The players and their parents, the buddies and trainers, all come together on Saturday to partake in something wonderful and get out in the (usually) good weather.

Any athletes reading this know what I’m talking about when I say that, at a certain point, a sport stops being just a sport and becomes something else altogether, with its own politics and weight. It follows us off the field and becomes complicated. Watching Jackson go from asking what time it was every couple of minutes because he was so eager to leave, to sending a ball soaring cleanly through a hula hoop reminded me how much joy there is in playing for the love of the game. For the love of a beautiful day filled with friends in the same color jersey.

I can’t pretend that my buddy skills brought about this transformation in Jackson (instead, I’d attest it to his willingness to learn, his incredible listening skills, and his relentless persistence and good nature), but in this way, TOPSoccer has taught me an invaluable lesson, too. I feel I’d be remiss if I didn’t encourage others to work with this program. I have been shaped by the bond I’ve been able to form with Jackson. There are so many players who need buddies, who need someone to take the time to show them how purely, simply fun a sport like soccer can be.

So if you love kids and want to make a new friend and maybe introduce to them something that you love, something that has shaped you, please consider volunteering with TOPSoccer. I can honestly say it’s my favorite part of any weekend in the fall or spring, and I will forever be glad I had this opportunity to spend ten seasons with Jackson.

The TOPSoccer program, is offered at no cost to Cranford residents brought to the town by Cranford Soccer Club