Familia, Escuela, Comunidad

By Alfredo Sanchez

April 7, 2015

Middle school students from the Denton Independent School District joined by their fathers and mothers participated in a day of soccer known as La Copa Familia.  At this soccer Tournament fathers ran side by side with their sons and mothers ran side by side with their daughters, trying to score a goal, and be named the winners of La Copa Familia. The purpose of these games is to increase the interaction between father and sons, and mother and daughters.  This day is a day these sons and daughters will always remember as fathers hugged their sons and mothers hugged their daughters on the sidelines after an exhausting soccer game.  It was an exciting day as parents tried to keep up with the activity of the game.  Not all children had someone to accompany them.  Chris and his associates invited students and friends to join in and associate themselves with a soccer player whose parents were unable to attend.    

On Saturday, March 28, 2015 at the Calhoun Middle School parents, friends and family spent the day enjoying the outdoors sunshine while participating in soccer.  Fathers and mothers joined their sons and daughters who are members of Guys/Girls Operating as Leaders (GOAL), in playing soccer.   Under the leadership of Chris Ice and other teachers from McMath Middle School GOAL became a reality, approximately six years ago.  The objective of GOAL is to take students who are at risk and English is their second language, and provide leadership skills and mentoring through the instrument of Soccer.  Students that participate are also required to volunteer for community service projects. Soccer is the most popular sport among Latino youth.  Through soccer students are mentored and instructed that they have value, have skills and are leaders.

Chris Ice, a school teacher, has spent countless hours making GOAL a reality.  GOAL has become a Denton ISD program that supports Family, School, and Community in North Texas. This tournament was the third year La Copa Familia has been held.  La Copa Familia Tournament grows, each year, as the Community of Denton realizes its value.  Originally GOAL was strictly a boys program but in 2014 the program was extended to include girls.  This year La Copa Familia reached a new milestone as the following were present at the tournament: Texas Women’s University Mobile Go Center,Denton Police Department, Apple Tree Project, voter registration table was available, Legal Counsel for families was available (Attorney Prudence Sanchez), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council from the University of North Texas, and the Greeks Fraternity from the University of North Texas.

If you have a son or daughter that you feel would benefit from this program contact Chris at cice@dentonisd.org.  If you would like to volunteer or donate funds to assist Chris Ice contact him at his e-mail.  This is a very noteworthy program for Hispanic youth and if you have the time please volunteer.  When our children succeed, we have been successful parents.