NASL Players Head Community Outreach Effort Prior To The Championship Final
Leading up to The Championship Final, NASL award winners and Humanitarian of the Year finalists spent time in New York City reaching out to the community and seeing the sights. Golden Boot and Golden Ball winner Stefano Pinho (Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Goal of the Year winner Junior Burgos (Atlanta Silverbacks), and Wells Thompson (Carolina RailHawks) and Shaka Bangura (Atlanta Silverbacks) visitied the Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital, held a training session for Street Soccer USA, went atop the Emipre State Building as well as partaking in The Championship Final fesitivites.
Here is a recap of their stay in the Big Apple:
The guys first headed out to the Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital on Thursday and appreared on Kid Zone TV. They answered kids questions as well as doing some tricks to provide the afternoon entertainment.
The kids at @mountsinaipeds are in for a treat with today's KidZone TV featuring a host of NASL stars pic.twitter.com/3KWptDwh6Y
— NASL (@naslofficial) November 12, 2015
Balancing the ball is key! @naslofficial @mountsinaipeds #childlife @KidZoneTV_NYC pic.twitter.com/3tjsgZEdWm
— Kravis Children's (@mountsinaipeds) November 12, 2015
Up next was a chance to work with Street Soccer USA, which Bangura is very much a part of in Atlanta. The NASL players headed to Brooklyn to work with underpriveldged children to give them pointers on their soccer skills.
Shaka, Stefano, Junior and Wells team up with @StreetSoccerUSA to play soccer with underprivileged kids in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/XoRaUx0sQ9
— NASL (@naslofficial) November 12, 2015
On Friday,Pinho, Burgos, Thompson, and Bangura spent some time taking the sights and views of the city when they went on top of the Empire State Building. There the Silverbacks pair, Bangura and Burgos ran into a bretheren.
The @ATLSilverbacks meeting another silverback. #NASL pic.twitter.com/TUO8GN8xNJ
— NASL Insider (@NASLInsider) November 13, 2015
After walking through Times Square earlier, the NASL players took in the city from a much different vantage point, fighting off the gust of winds of the November afternoon.
Then, the foursome headed to The Championship Final press conference where Pinho and Burgos were honored for their achievements and awards this season and a chance to meet with NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson.
On Saturday, the players had a chance to take in the city, including a trip to the Bronz Zoo for Pinho before arriving on the red carpet, well NASL VIP event as the foursome bonded further.
And lastly the group headed to The Championship Final where the awards winners were once again recognized.
Hardware. ðŸ†ðŸ† pic.twitter.com/1xQ2HOhYyg
— FtLauderdaleStrikers (@FTLStrikers) November 15, 2015
The players not involved in the game even offered up a bit of help, and don't think either side would have minded a free-kick attempt from Burgos, who won the Goal of the Year with one earlier in the year.
On our way to the @naslofficial championship. Bringing my cleats and shinguards just in case 🙊😂 #33
— junior burgos (@juniorburgos10) November 15, 2015
Overall, it was a trip that the group reached many different people, had a chance to interact with fellow players from other teams (without trying to beat each other), and to get a more in-depth of New York City.
Thanks for a great trip @naslofficial ! Had a blast in NYC.ROCK ONâ€¼ï¸ @RailHawksFC @gopro #gopro #naslchampionship pic.twitter.com/hxSieS7cQ8
— Wells Thompson (@WellsThompson) November 16, 2015
#NASLFamily pic.twitter.com/h9RjvjamPP
— NASL (@naslofficial) November 12, 2015
