By Jeanette Valencia & Amanda Sakowski
Pure Game and Seneca Orange County are working together to make a difference in the lives of children who have suffered significant loss, abuse and neglect. Although the partnership is fairly new, the impact on the children has been extremely positive. Pure Game has been bringing the joy of learning life skills through soccer to Canyon Acres Ranch Children’s Treatment Center, a program of Seneca Family of Agencies.Seneca is committed to helping children and families succeed through the most difficult times in their lives, offering an array of specialized supportive mental health programs that serve some of the most impacted children in our community. Often times, children with histories of complex trauma have trouble in school and social settings because they are easily triggered into distressed states of hyperarousal. This can make participating in a team sport completely overwhelming for a child who is chronically triggered by his or her environment. Pure Game’s experiential learning element has been particularly beneficial in helping these children learn healthy coping strategies through the joy of playing soccer.
- Everybody plays! No child is excluded!
- It’s about cooperation; not competition
- Soccer is the vehicle to have each child ‘experience’ success!
- It’s about having fun
- It’s strengths-based! Children get positive feedback about what they’re doing right!
- It’s about team-building and positive social interaction
- It’s inclusive & there is a place for everyone – something they would not get in a traditional sports setting
One of the great benefits of the partnership is that while Pure Game is teaching the children at Canyon Acres Ranch, their parents are able to participate in trainings and workshops like Positive Discipline and Pathways to Permanence. In talking about the Pure Game program, one of the parents said, “This program has been so positive for my child; it taught him patience and how to be aware of other kids’ feelings. All of my kids looked forward to coming - it gave them something positive in their life and gave us time to take parenting classes while they were in the program.”
We are thrilled to see the positive impact of this collaboration! If you would like to learn more about this partnership or how you can help, please contact Tony Everett at [email protected]. We encourage you to learn more about Seneca and Canyon Acres Ranch by contacting Kristine Peters at (714) 383-9335 or by following them on Facebook.