There was a lot of kicking and screaming happening at the Camden High School Stadium on Wednesday, October 16th.
That was a good thing. The kicking was to raise funds, and the screaming was that of delight. That was the order of the evening as the Camden AYSO Region 918 hosted its 2024 AYSO Olympics event at the Camden High School Stadium.
AYSO stands for American Youth Soccer Organization. It engages about 400,000 children and 100,000 volunteers nationwide, including here in Camden, and the organization promotes a positive sporting environment where all kids are included and encouraged to play the game.
Costs are kept as low as possible to play, and that is made possible through fundraising events such as the AYSO Olympics. The event featured five different skills competitions, including the always important Goal-A-Thon. In the Goal-A-Thon, players get sponsors from family and friends that gave monetary donations to AYSO based on the number of penalty kicks a player made out of ten attempts. There are also drop kick for distance, kick for distance, throw-in for distance, and 40-yard-dash competitions.
Players, many of whom are Camden CSD students, participated under the watchful eye of AYSO volunteers. Players from the Camden Central School District soccer programs also volunteered their time to keep the event running smoothly for all participants. Many of those student-athletes are taking the time to pay it forward as former AYSO players themselves. While offering their time for the evening, the student volunteers get to see the progress from the younger students they work with throughout the year, including the annual AYSO Soccer Camp run by Camden players and coaches.
Camden CSD parent Kenny Morrison, also known as Kenny the Promo Guy, provided musical accompaniment and positive encouragement throughout the night. The Oh Crepe and Waffles and Two Hip Chicks food trucks donated a portion of their proceeds from service during the Olympics, and the preceding modified sports events, to AYSO so they can continue providing an enriching experience to area children.
It was a beautiful night for the beautiful game, and a good time was had by all.
