Kids invited to free soccer tourney Kids invited to free soccer tourney (October 21, 2005)

Organizers hope Eagle Park event will become a tradition

By Jon Wiener

Organizers for next Sunday's citywide soccer tournament are planning to draw hundreds of children and their parents for what they hope will be an annual event.

"We're trying to generate as much interest as possible," said Oscar Garcia, a co-founder of Mesa de La Comunidad, the group behind the tournament.

The free tournament, scheduled for Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Eagle Park, is open to soccer stars and first-time players, ages 6-14. Garcia is envisioning 200-250 children being cheered on by their parents (whose attendance is required) as their teams compete for the championship.

Mesa de La Comunidad formed last spring to provide a voice to the Latino community as the Mountain View-Whisman school board was deliberating over which of two elementary schools would close. The issue pitted "parents against each other, one school against the other," said Garcia.

Now, Garcia hopes the group, through events like this, will succeed in bridging some of the divides created by the closure.

Nineteen different organizations, including the city police department and PTAs from four of the district's seven elementary schools, have co-sponsored the event.

Each participant will receive a free T-shirt, and Mayor Matt Neely, elementary district Superintendent Maurice Ghysels, and former national team member Chris Sullivan will present medals to the winning teams.

Registration forms are available online at mesacomunidad.org.

E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com

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