San Jose's 'Saturday Night Lights' soccer program for teens hailed a success
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A new city soccer program is being called a tremendous success in San Jose. 'Saturday Night Lights' was a 10-week-pilot program that just wrapped up this month.
The San Jose Earthquakes, Catholic Charities, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office and several other groups partnered to make it happen.
Two-hundred-twenty middle and high school students were coached and played futsal at their school gyms.
Robert Davis is the VP of community relations with San Jose Earthquakes.
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"I think what it allowed them to do is to come together to learn those lessons but also realize that they're kids, and they get a chance to play," Davis said.
Davis said every single student completed the program.
The principal at LeyVa Middle School saw a 30% increase in school attendance.
Over the course of the program, no disciplinary incidents occurred.
"The feedback that they gave to us is that it provided leadership opportunities caused what we found is that older kids were leaned in to help the younger kids. Sense of trust and responsibility," Davis said.
Officials said this program comes during a time of an alarming rise in gang violence involving kids.
On Monday, San Jose police released surveillance video of a gang-motivated shooting involving a juvenile suspect in February.
We spoke with Byron Suarez, a deputy District Attorney.
"When it comes to gang violence, the gangs are going younger and younger with the recruiting. I think social media kind of provides that vehicle - as a parent you could have your kid home at that age, you know - 12 or 13-year-old - but if they have that phone it acts as to some of the videos glamourizing this lifestyle," Suarez said.
Part of his role is coming up with unique ways to address public safety.
MORE: 5 suspected gang members arrested in fatal stabbing of 15-year-old at Santana Row, SJPD says
"Intervention and prevention, education that has an ability to keep the community safer and a lot of times a lot more effective then just arrest and prosecution," Suarez said.
So far, two dozen sites across the Bay Area have reached out to learn more about Saturday Night Lights .
"We heard of a moment over at Leyva Midde School where one of the youth's was going through a tough time, literally I get goosebumps thinking about this - they all stopped the session went outside, kind of gathered around that young man, picked him up and said okay, lets get back to work like for middle school kids to do this - this is the work," Davis said.
The program is done for now, but they hope to expand it by the beginning of next year going into the World Cup.
Saturday Night Lights is modeled after a similar program in New York where 140 sites are operating nearly year-round.
