For Sharon Bowling, TOPS was a fortuitous find. She had been looking for somewhere, anywhere, for her son, Joseph Cordero, to play soccer.

 

She had even entertained the idea of going to one of the many soccer clubs in Bakersfield. But Bowling had a concern most parents of potential soccer players never have to face.

Joseph, 9, has Apert Syndrome, which is a rare birth defect that results in physical deformities of the skull, and webbed fingers and toes. TOPS (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a community-based program that gives children with physical and/or mental disabilities the chance to play soccer, but in an environment of development and interaction rather than competition.

 

"I just wanted to get him off the video games," Bowling said. "And soccer, he enjoys it as much as the video games."

 

The decision, though, rested with Joseph. An avid backyard soccer player, he was keen to give TOPS a try.

"I said, 'Great, I want to play,'" said Joseph, a fourth-grader at Plantation Elementary School. "In the backyard, I used to play soccer all the time. It's a lot of fun; I like kicking the ball."

 

The TOPS soccer program began in 1991 in Southern California. Local TOPS coordinator Joe Montoya had wanted to bring TOPS to Bakersfield for several years, but only last year was able to bring together the financial support and personnel, thanks to the Bakersfield Brigade; Montoya, a former coach at Liberty High School, is the technical director for the Brigade organization.

 

Montoya, who is a special education teacher at South High School, enlisted two colleagues at the school, Brandy Reneau and Steve Kirkman, to assist. They scheduled a parents meeting in May and put together packets on TOPS for special education teachers to distribute to their students.

Currently, the TOPS program has 15 players. The six-week season got under way Sept. 9, but Montoya said additional players are still welcome.

 

"(Fifteen) is a good starting point," Montoya said. "We're excited about that. These ... kids would play each other every day, and just be excited about the opportunity to get out of the house, enjoy a sport, because there's not a lot out there for them."

 

Attending a TOPS practice is not unlike seeing a practice of any other soccer team. The players run and play and kick and score, as any other soccer player does.

 

They have fun, much in the same way as any other kids. There are differences, though.

During games, players are assisted on the field by "player buddies," players from the Bakersfield Brigade who volunteer their time to help the athletes; in-game coaching on the field is encouraged. The primary emphasis is upon social interaction.

 

"We work at a basic level," said Reneau, who had no experience with playing or coaching soccer prior to joining forces with Montoya for TOPS. "It's just basic soccer, so even I can do it. We're working on social skills that are important in life."

 

There is a game each week. But there's also a practice each week, where the players are allowed to learn the game and those basic skills at their own speed.

 

"TOPS is more about having the athletes out there and working as a group than just having teams for the sake of being competitive," Montoya said. "It's just an opportunity for them to get out and enjoy the game, and have fun with no pressures of competition."

 

Montoya said if interest warrants, the program could be expanded. Additional teams could be added with players assigned by skill level and there could be a second season added next spring.

 

The players are learning a little about soccer, and a lot about interacting with others, Montoya said. And they have the opportunity to engage in physical activity, something not necessarily common to children with physical and mental disabilities.

 

Perhaps more important, though, is they get the experience of belonging to a team, of being a part of something, Montoya said. And he said he has no concerns about the competitive aspects inherent in athletics -- a player running faster than another, a player kicking farther or harder than another -- even in an endeavor that doesn't keep scores or standings.

 

"It's all how you present the sport to them and how you present having fun to them, and getting them involved," Montoya said.

 

Bowling is just happy her son isn't spending all his time in front of a computer or playing video games.

"He runs and plays; he does it all, just like anyone else," Bowling said. "This is just now starting out. They need all the support they can get. It's a big thing in these kids' lives."