As Westchester Soccer Club wraps its inaugural season, the impact the club will be delivering not just now but for years to come will be felt way beyond the pitch. Case in point is the work veteran defender Joel Johnson is doing with young people, highlighted this week by Chris Marshall in the Rye Record.
Johnson, who has started 19 of his 22 matches and is tied for second on the team with three assists, recently played in his 400th career professional game as well, but as he says in the piece, his emphasis is as much in making sure young people have the opportunity to enjoy the game. That is why he founded 4 The Youth, a free soccer camp for low-income children ages six to 16. The first camp was Aug. 4, and future dates remain in the works.
“For me, soccer was everything,” Johnson told Marshall. “It gave me discipline, gave me an understanding of being in a group, respecting teammates, and understanding you’ve got to go to the gym, and sometimes do things you might not like. A lot of things that will help you succeed in soccer, but also can apply to anything in life.”
