DENVER Recess is anything but quiet at Trevista at Horace Mann as students from all different grade levels cheer each other on as they play soccer on a new mini-pitch. Vita Coco and the U.S. Soccer Foundation joined forces on the mini-pitch, where it was revealed to kick off the new school year.
Aric Pelafas, Trevista at Horace Mann physical education teacher, sees firsthand the power of the pitch. Pelafas said he reached out to the U.S. Soccer Foundation four years ago wanting a space and was thrilled when they reached out back out.
"We have lots of kids that get exposed to sports and haven't played soccer or are there any organized activities at all," said Pelafas. "So once they saw this, we had the grand opening. It was fantastic for them. They're super excited just seeing the actual pitch. They've been using it every day for recess, so they come out here and they see the lines on the court, they see the goals, all the kids and the energy playing, and they've really enjoyed it and had a great time."
On the mini pitch, students of all ages and abilities get their moment in the soccer spotlight to show off what they can do. For the Pelafas, it's about more than the game, he said the mini pitch teaches valuable life skills.
"I always tell them this in PE and in sports, like winning and losing is fun. Being a good person is more important.That's one of the best parts of soccer, is just seeing them go through those emotions together. Winning and losing and experiencing the highs and lows and supporting each other no matter what happens," Pelafas said.
Throughout recess, his teammates chanted one name on repeat: Teyo. Teyo Boltkolinek admits he loves soccer and loves to score goals. Having played soccer since three years old, Boltkolinek is thrilled to have the mini-pitch to play on.
"It moves pretty quick when you like kick it fast, but it can also move slow because there's walls and there's no outs so you can like pass against the wall," Boltkolinek said.
While the mini-pitch is the newest addition at Trevista at Horace Mann, it is not the first one in the district. Bryant Webster Dual Language School got a mini-pitch in 2018 and is known as 'probably the most popular place in the school.'
At Bryant Webster Dual Language School, assistant principal Andrew Hernandez has seen the mini-pitch make a difference firsthand.
"I think my favorite part of watching the kids on the pitch is actually the first thing in the morning, because as an ECA school, we have three year olds all the way through 14 year olds, and you'll see all of them playing together on the pitch. Even the older students will kind of like, tone it down and create a space where everyone can play together," Hernandez said.
