Dear Eastside FC Family Members,

Over the course of the past few weeks, you have received several communications related to how Eastside FC is addressing the COVID-19 epidemic as a member of the greater Seattle community. In an unprecedented manner, the COVID-19 epidemic has disrupted every aspect of our lives and required our community to make dramatic changes to our professional, educational, personal, recreational, and spiritual lives. Eastside FC will always prioritize the health and well-being of our families, coaches, staff and volunteers, especially regarding the Governor’s recent orders. 

After the closure of the schools and the suspension of activities at Eastside FC, I drove by our soccer fields and saw a number of players individually training or playing some form pick-up soccer. On more than one occasion, I caught a smile on a young player’s face as they were focused on specific task or simply playing the game of soccer on a much simpler level. These types of activities validated my belief that while our community is facing much greater challenges, there is an opportunity for soccer, the beautiful game, to help us through these unprecedented and stressful times.  

In the upcoming weeks, all Eastside FC coaches will be engaging with their teams remotely and providing their players with tasks that can be executed individually, and in a manner that supports the call for maintaining social distancing. Now is not the time for ad hoc full team practices – the Board, directors and coaches fully support parents and players maintaining full discretion in their player’s activities. As will be supplemented by each coach, this is a unique time to engage the game of soccer on an individual basis. Allow a player to try a new technique or move, fail and learn from the failure in the comfort of their backyard, garage, workout area, or park. Encourage your player as they commit to working on specific skills, and track their improvement over the course of the next few weeks. Challenge your player to learn more about team tactics and formations and watch their implementation in replays of the national and professional teams. Find inspirational quotes and write your player a short note about what they do well or why you enjoy watching them play. Perhaps the benefit of the opportunity for individual growth and development is encompassed by Mia Hamm: “[t]he vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking.”

There will be a time in which we will again begin our organized team activities at Eastside FC. We will welcome that opportunity. But, during this time, we can use and grow our passion for the beautiful game as a source of encouragement and development – perhaps we can emerge from this crisis with players that are hungry for team activities and with a little bit of their own personal Ginga. (Yes…look it up! 😊)

Above all, be safe. 

Warmest regards,

Mauricio Uribe

President, Eastside FC

See all COVID19 updates at eastsidefc.org