Children in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District can enjoy a variety of sports for free. From soccer to flag football, these programs are designed to give every child a chance to play.
For fifth and sixth graders, the sound of a whistle means it’s time for fun and games. Marcus Ziedses des Plantes, a coach at Los Osos Middle School, emphasizes that some girls are just starting to learn the basics of soccer. He’s been coaching for 35 years, but this is his first season with the Elementary Athletics for Achievement program.
Ziedses des Plantes aims to make sports enjoyable and hopes to see these kids grow into players by the seventh grade. “Making it fun is essential,” he says. The program, now in its third year, was created to address low participation rates in high school sports among children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Christine Robertson, the Executive Director of the San Luis Coastal Education Foundation, explained that many kids from lower-income families miss out on sports because they can’t afford club teams or early sports involvement. This initiative seeks to change that.
This fall, over 330 students joined the program across ten elementary schools and one middle school, with 19 coaches helping out. Athletics Coordinator Phil Angel notes that many kids often quit sports by sixth grade, but the goal here is to spark a lifelong love for athletics.
To accommodate the high interest in the program, many volunteers step in each season. As Robertson points out, managing this growth can be challenging. However, partnerships with local organizations, like the Cal Poly College Corps, help make it feasible.
Angel highlights that the focus isn’t on winning; instead, it’s about building friendships and sportsmanship. “What matters most is the experience and connection they create at school.”
Ziedses des Plantes believes that with foundational support from great coaches, kids will discover their love for the game, no matter their starting point.
