The pandemic has put a damper on normal life. School, gatherings, and even sports have all been impacted in one way or another. So when COVID-19, shut down youth soccer, South Boston resident Mark Slater, along with Drew Donnellan, Lyndsay Picciano, and David Youngers, kicked it into high gear and organized City Kids – a soccer league made up of over 300 players from the neighborhood.
“There were a lot of people that quickly got involved once we got started. Each team is parent-managed and coached. And selfishly, I wanted my kids to continue playing the sport they love…and get out of the house,” said Slater.
For the past six weeks, this parent-run league played games at Evans Field with COVID-19 health and safety guidelines in place including the wearing of masks, the use of QR codes for checking-in and contact tracing.
With plans to formalize the youth soccer league in play, Slater and his colleagues hope to have even more families involved in the spring.
Living in South Boston, for the past 20 years, Stater understands just how important his community is – especially during a pandemic. In addition to organizing the youth soccer league, Slater recently launched a new neighborhood app called Cobbles right here in his hometown of South Boston.
“Southie is rich in history and personality. It’s experiencing a lot of change lately and I wanted to help make sure we didn’t lose our sense of community. We don’t all necessarily have to be friends, but we are neighbors and it’s time we look after each other,” added Slater.
You can check out Cobbles by downloading it here. It’s a positive way to stay connected like checking out youth sports and it has alerts to keep you informed about the latest news.
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