The Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (CJSA) hosted a TOPSoccer Festival this past weekend, where approximately 100 athletes, family members and volunteers enjoyed a fun afternoon full of games, activities and entertainment. Sponsored by DICK’S Sporting Goods, the CJSA TOPSoccer Festival took place at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park in Wallingford.
“Our inaugural CJSA TOPSoccer Festival was a tremendous success. Thank you to all of our sponsors and partners,” said Josh Krusewski, Executive Director of the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association. “We also want to send out a special thank you to the South Central District and Wallingford Soccer Club for their hands-on involvement in carrying out the event for these amazing athletes.”
TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a recreational sports program for children with intellectual, emotional and physical disabilities. Developed by US Youth Soccer, TOPSoccer provides an opportunity for those with diverse abilities to play the game in a structured environment that is safe, fun, supportive and inclusive.
The CJSA TOPSoccer Festival included small-sided games, skills sessions and contests. Each attendee enjoyed a complimentary meal from Los Mariachis and ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s, also receiving a free t-shirt and soccer ball to commemorate the event. In addition to the tremendous volunteer work by the South Central District and Wallingford Soccer Club, partners for the CJSA TOPSoccer Festival included Hartford Athletic of the USL Championship professional league, Hartford HealthCare, Skyhawks Sports Academy and Wallingford Parks & Recreation. Also making an appearance at the festival was representation from the Southern Connecticut State University Women’s Soccer Program.
The Connecticut Junior State Association is currently seeking new partners to help grow TOPSoccer around the state and make the game more readily available to young athletes of all abilities. Any CJSA clubs that are interested in learning more about adding TOPSoccer to their club offerings can contact topssoccer@cjsa.org or send an email directly to CJSA TOPSoccer Chairperson Bill Fallon at coachbill01@comcast.net. The program would be fully supported by US Youth Soccer and the Connecticut Junior State Association.
