Jamestown Celebrates Our First Annual Atletas Banquet
On May 21st, 2019, The Jamestown Community Center held our very first Atletas Award Banquet for soccer coaches and families who are a part of Soccer For All. Sports Director, Ariel Esqueda, and Soccer Program Coordinator, Gerardo Hernandez, welcomed everyone with warmth and excitement.
Families arrived with smiles to the Mission Language Vocational School, located right above the new Jamestown office. The historic banquet hall known for holding community dances and activities, was decked out in dazzling black and gold decor, smells of delicious food prepared by MLVS students and festive music floated through the air.
The awards were presented to Jamestown soccer coaches who have gone above and beyond to invest into their teams and players. Jamestown Coach of over 12 years, Cesar Lepe, received the Lepe Golazo Award for promoting Jamestown’s Sports Program Core values of sportsmanship, commitment, leadership and fun. Coaches Jesus Salmeron and Jeff Flores, who have been with Jamestown for over 20 and 10 years respectively, received the Salmeron Corazon Award for their many years of commitment and dedication to the Jamestown sports community. Each coach also received a Certificate of Honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Two youth players from each team won VIP awards for stellar sportsmanship, commitment, leadership, and fun.
Families gathered around and cheered for their coaches, as Ariel and Gerardo presented the awards. Executive Director, Myrna Melgar, made a speech celebrating the coaches’ and Jamestown’s continued spirit of leadership, family, and love. The honored coaches have shown their dedication by sometimes covering fees for families who couldn’t, as well as mentoring players one-on-one to better focus on school and their future. Furthermore, they have also assisted in training other Jamestown coaches to become strong leaders.
The Banquet ended with pink sangria, arroz con leche, warm hugs, and congratulations. We are already looking forward to celebrating our coaches continued commitment and dedication to Jamestown Soccer Programs’ next year.
