Spring Soccer 2024 Banquet

Sarita, a mom in Price Hill, has noticed a difference in her children.

They’ve been involved in the Lord’s Gym Panthers Soccer experience and it’s been, well… “Exciting!”

“My son is a lot more open,” she said. “He’s come a long way. It means a lot to have Lord’s Gym Soccer. There’s not a lot of soccer programs in the area and I really enjoy this one because the coaches really care about the kids.”

Micahel, 9, played in the spring league and “can’t wait until fall” to start playing again. This Panther said playing soccer gave him something fun to do and helped him make new friends.

Carteama, of Winton Terrace, said she loves that her daughter had this experience this spring. 

“It’s been awesome for her to find something she loves so much,” Carteama said. “The coaches really pour in to the kids. This program helps with the kids’ self esteem and helps them make new friends. They also learn important life ethics.”

Gabriella, 9, says she loves to play soccer.

“It’s fun,” she said. “I like my coach because she’s fun and funny. It feels good too to learn about how God loves us. That’s the most important thing I’ve learned.”

Lord’s Gym Ministries held a banquet in honor of our soccer players, parents and coaches. Youth Athletics Chaplain Chris, mced the event that included about 150 in attendance. Coach Todd prepared the meal and volunteers from Men in Balance and Lord’s Gym staff served our families. Each Panther was presented with a medal and T-shirt. The shirts were provided by FC Cincinnati, who also trained all the coaches and provided equipment for the kids, and a medal. 

Chris and coaches shared a few words about the season, and expressed heartfelt gratitude to the parents who supported the players throughout the season. Master Provisions and Chic-fil-A also provided support throughout the season with food and snacks, and Roberts Academy allowed the Panthers to use their fields for practice at no charge.

“A top highlight of the season was the program itself,” Chris said. “There are not a lot of soccer opportunities in this area. It has been an honor to meet a need for that this season. Another highlight is that we created a safe place and did our best to maintain a safe place for our kids and families. 

“Our parents were a big part of that and were just  great. They were positive, encouraging and loud when they cheered from the bottom of their hearts,” Chris continued. “The No. 1 highlight is that we saw God’s love demonstrated in many ways.” 

One way that God’s love was demonstrated was through the relationships between the players and the coaches.

Coach Trevor said coaching the Panthers has meant “everything” to him. 

“It means a lot to be able to do this,” he said. “Many of the kids who I coached didn’t have the same opportunities I had growing up. It was good to love on them and to be able to teach them to be and do good on and off the field. I’m going to keep doing this.”

This was Coach Jen’s first time coaching and a great learning experience for her, she said.

“Most of our girls hadn’t played before,” she said. “They really jumped in and over the season they improved so much. That’s a cool feeling, to be a part of that.”

Jen also enjoyed seeing the girls become friends.

“Seeing them Bond and become friends with those they didn’t know was so great,” she said. “This team was so supportive of each other. It was not about the win, it was about working hard on something together.”

Chaplain Chris said he was proud of the coaches, parents and Panthers for seeing the season to completion. He said he is honored to have been a part of it all and hopes everyone feels that they have been a part of something special.

“No matter their background, or where they stand as far as beliefs, we want every child to feel welcome and to know that they belong with us,” he said.

Family Activity Center Director Danny, translated during the event for our Spanish speaking families. He also took time to remind everyone why we have our soccer experience.

“We want to transform lives for the glory of God,” he said “We do this by sharing the Gospel and at the center of that Gospel is Jesus. Yes, we do sports. It’s fun, the kids develop skills, but the main thing we want to pour into our parents and kids lives is we have a hope and that hope is in Jesus.”