‘You’re my GOAT’: Youth soccer camp focused on serving refugees gets visit from Spokane Velocity on Thursday

When 90+ Project Director of Programming and Coach Aaron Lewis asked the players at Thrive International’s youth summer soccer camp how many of them weren’t born in the United States, dozens of hands shot up.

Sitting in the grass at Franklin Park, those same players watched as four out of the five Spokane Velocity players who were visiting camp Thursday raised their hands, too.

“You’re my GOAT,” 9-year-old Mel Akon later told Velocity left-backer Moses Mensah while the kids collected autographs on soccer balls, cleats and posters. “One day I’m gonna look like you and be like you.”

“I want to see that,” Mensah, originally from Ghana, answered without hesitation.

The annual youth soccer camp is run through a partnership with refugee resettlement organization Thrive International and sports-based youth development organization 90+ Project. This year, close to 200 kids, including kindergartners to 12th graders, from more than a dozen nationalities, arrived at Franklin Park to play soccer.

The free weeklong camp focuses on providing an opportunity for players from refugee and immigrant families, and several participants previously lived in Thrive’s shelters in Spokane and Tacoma.

“We teach character, leadership, mental wellness, and we do those things through the sport of soccer, so using it really as a vehicle for transformation,” said 90+ Project Executive Director Russ Davis. “And then we seek to provide access to the game, so creating opportunities for kids.”

With the Velocity superstars there to watch, Davis and other camp coaches gave shout-outs to players who exhibited virtue, respect and responsibility throughout the day and week. The standout players were awarded Velocity posters that they could get signed by the professionals.

Mel received the first shout-out from Davis, who applauded him for showing up every morning and afternoon to get in as much soccer as possible.

“We were talking about the Velocity, and I said, ‘The Velocity is gonna be here tomorrow,’ ” Davis said. “And I don’t know that (Mel) believed me fully, he was kinda like doubting it, and then he said to me, ‘If the Velocities show up tomorrow, I will now trust you one billion percent.’ ”

With Mel’s doubts proven wrong and the Velocity players really there in Franklin Park, Davis said he was ready to cash in for “one billion percent” trust from Mel, who beamed while holding up his new poster.

“This is the fifth year we’ve done a soccer camp, and the reason we do that is because our vision is we want to see people not just survive when they come to a new country, we want to help them thrive,” said Thrive International Executive Director Mark Finney.

Before the aspiring players were let loose to chat with the players, 15-year-old Teodoro Tchetchembe and 16-year-old Jomar TC got the chance to test their juggling skills against Velocity forward Joe Gallardo.

Sporting a Lamine Yamal Barcelona jersey, Jomar tied with Gallardo with 35 hits.

Gallardo said the best advice he could give the kids at the camp was to assure them that their dreams were possible.

“If you really want to get there, if you push yourself, just work hard everyday – I mean obviously, it’s still hard to get there – but if you can do everything possible to get there, I think it’s achievable,” Gallardo said.

Mensah’s guidance was more concrete: “Listen to your coaches a lot because they have more experience than you guys.” The piece of advice was met with a high five from Coach Lewis and laughs from the players.

Originally living in Ghana , Mensah said he felt a special sort of connection with the kids at Thrive’s camp, who had arrived in Spokane from all over the world and have had to learn the culture just like he did. He said his goal as a player for Velocity is to be a role model for all the people in the community.

The Velocity players’ appearance at the camp was a highlight of the week for 11-year-old Emmanuel Kalumuna, who managed to get his soccer ball signed by all the players.

“The week has been amazing,” Emmanuel said. “I’ve been playing a lot and hanging out and having fun.”