New Jersey Youth Soccer recently hosted a watch party for the FIFA World Cup Final in partnership with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws at ShoreTown Ballpark.
To celebrate the final, which was held in New Jersey, NJ Youth Soccer partnered with the BlueClaws and Ocean County Tourism to host a free watch party preceded by skills and games for hundreds of young soccer players running around the outfield. After that, families were able to watch the game between Spain and Argentina from the comfort of the stadium’s stands or from the field on the BlueClaws’ 1,854 square-foot video board.
“There’s a lot of talk about the momentum and the spirit of the game and what the World Cup has done, and I think this is really a testament to it,” said Evan Dabby, CEO of NJ Youth Soccer. “There were hundreds of kids and families on the outfield for this unique opportunity to watch a unique game. We know this doesn’t happen every day, but we do hope that this tournament and this game provide a launching pad for players and families to get a life-long fulfillment from the sport.”
Before kickoff, NJ Youth Soccer and the BlueClaws hosted a soccer skills day for kids between the ages of 6 and 13. Participants were split up into groups and separated into several different stations, practicing skills like dribbling, passing, shooting. There were also small-sided games and fun skills like kicking soccer balls onto a jumbo dart board.
Around the concourse, families were able to purchase concessions and merchandise, and children were able to play games and enjoy free inflatable rides. The experience brought together soccer players and fans alike, with one family of five excited to watch the big game in a ballpark like ShoreTown and six youth soccer players from the Force, a team from the Twin County Soccer Association of Brick, sharing what it was like playing in the morning clinic.
“My favorite part of the day was the obstacle course and hanging out with my best friends,” said Teagan, 9.
The teammates were split on who they wanted to win the World Cup, but the majority were pulling for Lionel Messi and Argentina.
As Ocean County’s official watch party, the day was a unique way of bringing soccer and baseball together. But the main idea was to bring people together and encourage kids to get involved in any sport, according to BlueClaws General Manager Bob McLane.
“I think youth sports are tremendous. I think diversity of youth sport is really important,” McLane said. “I know a ton of kids are so uber specialized these days, which I get. But to me, I think just giving kids the opportunity, because it was a free event, because there’s organizations like NJ Youth Soccer involved, and some of our other partners, it gives [parents] kind of a low impact way of introducing it to their son or daughter. I think all of those things are super important.”
Dabby said he’s looking forward to having the opportunity to do more with partners like McLane and the BlueClaws in the community.
“This World Cup is giving us unique opportunities, whether it’s a day like today with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws and partnering to bring hundreds of kids out to enjoy the game before watching the World Cup Final, or New Jersey Youth Soccer Day at the American Dream. Again, hundreds of people from the youth soccer community coming in, just using the game as a celebration – it’s a way to connect with the community.”
To contact New Jersey Youth Soccer, please email communications@njyouthsoccer.com. Also make sure to follow us on social media: @NJYouthSoccer