KiXX Kid Columnist For A Day

Tuesday, April 8, 2003

By William Feldman
SJSports Student Correspondent

Last year, I was given a great opportunity by a local newspaper to become a kid columnist. One of my goals was to try to follow a sports team. By the kindness of David Deal, Public Relations Manager of the Philadelphia Kixx, my dream came true. I was able to come to many of the games.

When I first started going to the Kixx games, I knew very little about the game or the players. The game is fast paced and very exciting. You can never take your eyes off the game because there is always something happening. Here is a quick summary of the game. Indoor soccer consists of a goalkeeper and five field players. The field players are divided into: defenders, forwards and midfielders. The goalkeeper's job is to keep the other team from scoring; the defender's job is to stop the opposing team from reaching the goalkeeper; the forward is responsible for scoring goals and the midfielder has to keep pressure in the opposing teams' zone and keep the opposing team from entering their zone. A power-play goal is scored when a team has an extra player on the field due to a penalty call. A penalty kick occurs after a penalty is called inside the penalty area. A player is given a free kick from a spot 24 feet away from the goal.

The atmosphere in the stadium is great. There are tons of kids, with their families, having a great time. You can buy soccer balls, jerseys, key chains and calendars. They even have soccer games with different themes plus giveaways for the kids. They have interactive games in the lobby, which you can play and even a fan club that you can join. People from New Jersey, Delaware, and of course Pennsylvania come to cheer on our team.

The Kixx demonstrate great skills. They must know where their teammates are at all times. In fact, they need to stay one step ahead of themselves and the other team. They practice everyday and workout. To stay number one in the Eastern Conference Division, they need to stay in good shape.

The Kixx are not just about sports. They participate in a reading program called "Reading with the Kixx". This teaches kids why reading is an important tool in life. The best part of this experience has been getting to know the players as people, not just by a number on a team. I hope people read my submission and decide to come to this year’s games.

Photos by Pedro Cancel