Making Their Move

Local children have been exercising their bodies and minds this summer through the Samba 360 soccer and chess clinic. The free program allows boys and girls from the Town of North Hempstead, ages 8- to 11-years old, the chance to sharpen their soccer skills, as well as learn how to play chess. It’s a pairing that goes well together, says Samba 360 founder Shawn Brown.

“Soccer and chess have a lot in common. You always have to think about what you’re going to do when you get the ball, what’s your next step. With chess it’s the same thing,” Brown said. “You need to think two to five moves ahead.”

Approximately 40 young athletes are signed up for the two-week clinic, which began Monday, July 25. Not only is the program free, but Samba 360, a nonprofit organization that provides donated sporting and recreational equipment to disadvantaged children, also provided free soccer balls, jerseys, water bottles and shin guards for each attendee.

Players start the day at Martin “Bunky” Reid Park, where they do warm-up exercises and soccer drills, learning the fundamentals of the sport. They’re taught by four experienced coaches, including a college player and retired professional soccer player from Haiti.

“We teach basics like how to kick and positions. There are some kids who know how to play and some who don’t, so we introduce the game and make it fun for everybody,” Brown said. “That’s what’s important, to make it fun and promote exercise and sports.”

The coaches not only teach the players how to become better athletes, but instill in them values like responsibility and professionalism. After two-and-a-half hours on the field, students head into the “Yes We Can” Community Center for lunch, followed by 90 minutes of chess. Like the soccer program, the chess classes are taught by experts, in this case, nationally ranked chess teachers.

Brown notes that playing the classic game has many rewards.

“If you play chess, it promotes focus and concentration,” he said. “There’s a lot of benefits for kids to play chess and we want to promote that.”

Like soccer, chess too is a global game, played all over the world. This isn’t the first time Samba 360 has brought both games to Westbury. Last winter, the nonprofit did an indoor soccer clinic, as well as a chess clinic, at the “Yes We Can.”