Soccer team has a ball with Boys and Girls Club

The Boys and Girls Club had a special guest appearance at their Forest Heights Center in Gulfport.

A couple players from semi-pro soccer team Port City Sounders took the day off today to hold a soccer clinic, introducing their love for the game to a group of middle school girls in the club. The girls learned basics of soccer, like dribbling and passing, while having a ball getting to know the players.

Boys and Girls Club Unit Director Kris Riley says the club is a place where kids K through 12 can come after school to learn and build leadership skills. “It goes back again to building great character, great leadership. Sports relates to life. I’m a coach myself so sports relate right back to life and so those are good things that we try to build and try to encourage here at Forest Heights.”

Port City Sounders Coach Henrik Madsen said, “I think it’s important for the kids to get to know the game and try to get introduced to it and it’s always fascinating for them because we’ve got some of the international guys coming in and working with them. It’s a good experience for everybody.”

Riley tells News 25 they plan on having the Port City Sounders back again and expanding the soccer clinic to 30 to 40 kids.