Top Soccer does very special work in Smithtown
By Steven Zaitz
Top Soccer, the outreach program of U.S. Soccer, or “Special Soccer” is a community-based program for young athletes with disabilities, designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any boy or girl.
The Smithtown Kickers Top Soccer program is one of the largest of its kind in the region. It is led by Ernesto Cabello, powered by a group of amazing volunteers and is available to all children with special needs.
Its special Saturday soccer program runs for nine weeks during the fall and spring seasons.
These programs are provided free of charge by the Smithtown Kickers Youth League and Cabello and his staff are very proud of what they have built over the last 15 years for this program.
Bob Kinney, Maryann Passeggiata, and Jodi Feinne help Cabello run the program, which uses local kids with soccer backgrounds, known as buddies, to help guide its participants through drills and games.
“Bob has been here from the beginning and has grown the program from about 12 kids to the 70 that we have now,” said Cabello. “He is a saint.”
For more information on volunteering for this vital program visit, www.smithtownkickers.com/Default.aspx?tabid=843309
