Community Corner

Port Chester Man Brings Park to Life With Free Soccer Clinic

Al Collins says he wants local children 'to have the same opportunities my kids had.' With a plan and some help from donors in the community, his soccer clinic offer six weeks of fun and instruction -- for free.

Al Collins rode his bike past the Columbus Park soccer field every day.

Collins admired the $2 million field, with its astroturf, center field logo and bleachers. But he rarely saw anyone using it, a detail that didn't sit well with him.

As a Port Chester native who was born in United Hospital in 1958, Collins remembered the all-day barbecues, games and community-building of his youth in the same park. To him, the empty field was a shame.

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"I'm saying to myself, 'How are we going to make use of this soccer field?" said Collins, remembering a 2007 brainstorming session. "'How are my people going to take advantage of it?'"

Collins' wife, Roz, tired of hearing her husband complain about the issue, encouraged him to take initiative, knowing all along he was a person who could make a difference in his community.

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"He's born and raised here, loves the community, loves the kids, wants to see them doing something," said Roz Collins. "He just hates that a lot of things that are available to the kids, kids in our neighborhood can't afford. That's how this started."

So Collins took his wife's advice and started a soccer clinic, bringing the park to life during the summer months with the sounds of children laughing and soccer balls rebounding off of goal posts.

For three years, he's run the clinic the same way -- it's free, and open to any kid. Children are issued uniforms, safety equipment and their own soccer balls, and for six weeks they get to dive and shoot like their World Cup heroes under the guidance of experienced soccer coaches.

In an age when even elementary school kids are fashion-conscious, and children often judge each other on the perceived value of the clothes or sneakers they're wearing, Collins said it was important to create an atmosphere where every child shows up wearing the same uniforms and the same equipment, to "forget about what we're wearing" and focus on having fun.

"I make sure everyone is equal," Collins said. "That way you get people to compete, you get people to comply, you get them to want to have a good time because they have the same thing everyone else does."

The key moment in turning Collins' vision into reality came a couple of years ago, when Collins went to a friend's graduation party attended by who he describes as "everybody that was anybody in Port Chester."

There, Collins first introduced the idea of starting a free summer soccer clinic at Columbus Park. He asked for donations to purchase equipment and pay the registration fees for participants. The feedback Collins got that day at the graduation party was better than he could have imagined, he said.

"Everybody and their momma gave," Collins said. "It was a blessing."

After weeks of fund-raising and reaching out to friends and acquaintances, Collins walked into the office of Thomas Hronicich, superintendent of the Port Chester Recreation Department.

"He showed up and put $4,000 on my desk," Hroncich said. "I've never experienced that before."

Two years later, and now for the third summer in a row, Collins is holding his free six-week Summer Soccer Clinic at Columbus Park. Every Tuesday and Thursday until August 12, from 5 to 7 p.m., boys and girls of all ages and levels of ability are welcome to participate, whether it's to take their dribbling and shooting skills to the next level, or just run around and blow off some steam.  

Last year, Collins gave out 120 soccer balls, t-shirts, shorts, shin-guards, and pairs of socks to boys and girls who showed up to the first day of his clinic. This year, more than 40 kids, ranging anywhere from three to 12 years old, were at Columbus Park on July 8 for the clinic's first day. A number of those kids, as well their parents -- watching and cheering from the sidelines -- are back for their third year with Collins and his staff.

"Well the kids, for one, they love it," said Marvin Findley, whose two daughters, age 7 and 10, ahave returned to Columbus Park for their third summer. "They look forward to it throughout the year. After that, anything to support Al and the kids, I'm all for it."

Providing a venue for children too young to sign up for summer camps or programs -- as well as for those who cannot afford them -- Collins believes his soccer clinic is here to stay. With plans for a similar basketball clinic already in the works for next summer, it's once again looking like the start of bigger and better things.

"There is more money available now than back when I was growing up, but there's less programs," said Collins, who works for the Port Chester Housing Authority. "Everybody's talking about budget this and budget that, trying to squeeze five dollars out of two dollars. I said to myself, 'I can do this.' The more I try to give back, the better things are for me."


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