Soccer camp brings families together in Annandale’s Opportunity Neighborhoods

The kids vs. parents game at Ossian Hall Park. [FACETS]

The Opportunity Neighborhoods-Annandale (ON-Annandale) initiative hosted a soccer camp for families earlier this month as part of its strategy to provide more activities for youths.

Annandale High School varsity soccer coaches and players taught the children soccer skills and rules of the game. The soccer camp culminated on Aug. 28 with a game pitting the kids against their parents at Ossian Hall Park.

ON-Annandale is aimed at getting local residents of areas with high rates of child poverty involved in developing solutions to meet their community’s needs.

Related story: Residents of Annandale’s ‘opportunity neighborhoods’ work on action plans for key concerns

ON-Annandale is part of the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services’ Opportunity Neighborhoods program and is run by FACETS, a nonprofit that serves county residents affected by poverty, hunger, and homelessness.

FACETS staff and ON-Annandale volunteers at Public Safety Day at Annandale High School Aug. 28.

Two opportunity neighborhoods were identified in Annandale: the area centered around Fairmont Gardens on Little River Turnpike and the apartment complexes along Americana Drive and Heritage Drive. Both areas have child poverty rates of over 30 percent.

The idea for the soccer camp came from residents who called for increased opportunities for youths and expressed the need for a better understanding of the barriers to success among youths from low-income communities.

Soccer camp was aimed at promoting family involvement. [FACETS]

Residents who responded to a survey by FACETS cited the lack of children’s activities as a chief concern. Parents requested activities that would allow them to spend more time with their children.

FACETS is working to ensure that support services and resources are in place in the targeted neighborhoods. The partnership with Annandale High School’s soccer program reflects the approach taken by ON-Annandale in which residents identify needs and FACETS staff identifies resources to fill the gaps.