The TOPSoccer Jamboree, hosted by NY Youth Soccer and West Orange Soccer (Photo by Omar Yupanqui)

WEST ORANGE, N.J. – New Jersey Youth Soccer and its TOPSoccer program teamed up with West Orange Soccer to host a TOPSoccer Jamboree Saturday afternoon. The event included representatives from the New York Red Bulls Street Team and Sky Blue FC.

“On behalf of NJ Youth Soccer, we want to thank everyone who made our latest TOPSoccer event such a great success,” NJ Youth Soccer executive director Evan Dabby said. “TOPSoccer is particularly rewarding to anyone who becomes involved with the program, and you can clearly see the positive effect that it is having on all of these young athletes. We are very proud to have TOPSoccer as an integral part of our programming here at NJ Youth Soccer.”

TOPSoccer provides a curriculum to train coaches and volunteers to provide fun and engaging soccer activities for young athletes with mental or physical challenges. The program, designed by U.S. Youth Soccer, emphasizes player-specific development, training and meaningful participation rather than competition and results.

Hosted at Liberty Middle School in West Orange, the TOPSoccer Jamboree was conducted in partnership with West Orange Soccer.

The free event featured soccer training in addition to games and entertainment for all of the players, buddies, coaches and families in attendance. Special attractions at the Jamboree included a showcase by members of the Red Bulls Street Team, along with Kelly Conheeney and Danielle Schulmann from Sky Blue participating in the training sessions.
Players also received free giveaways courtesy of generous event donors such as JAG Physical Therapy and Topps Trading Cards.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.