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TechnoratiAs a dozen boys wearing the light blue Soccer and Scouting jerseys tumbled into an auditorium in San Jose's Seven Trees Elementary School, nearly breathless from a game played in the December chill, it was clear they loved the program — certainly the soccer part of it. But the connection to Scouting remained tenuous.
Michael Gudino, 7, and his brother Matthew Gudino, 6, talked about what they loved best: dribbling the ball, learning to pass and playing on a real field.
Pressed on what they like about Scouting, they stopped to think.
"Learning to be nice to each other?" Michael said tentatively. "Folding the flag?"
Their mother, Sandy Gudino, was pleased to find that Scouting was no more expensive than other youth activities, and she likes the discipline that comes with it.
Valente Morales, whose 6-year-old son Valentin's soccer skills had improved in just a few months, was won over by the coach — a Hispanic parent like himself.
"The trust came from becoming familiar with the people who run it, the people in this community," he said.
While soccer may be the draw, the Scouts' challenge is to keep the youngsters involved when the game is over, said Marcos Nava, director of the National Hispanic Initiatives Division, who was visiting the San Jose program.
"One hundred years — that's a great benchmark for us," Nava said. "But we have to remember, to Hispanics, we're just at the introduction, the basics. Because if we don't get past that stage, we won't live to see another 100 years."
Tallguy1000 »
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