COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — One weekend a year, Adams County School District 14 unites over soccer. The district hosts its own World Cup, which has grown in both size and passion to 445 players this year.
The tradition started four years ago as a way to bring families and students together for a weekend of fun. Adams County School District 14 Superintendent Dr. Karla Loria said students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade come out to show off their skills. There's also an opportunity for alumni, employees, and parents of students to play too.
"It is just too exciting for us and our communities and our parents to see the students laughing, parents so proud of their kids," Loria said. "It's just a great time."
Cheers echoed throughout DICK'S Sporting Goods Park field complex, with dozens of matches played the first weekend of May. Mario Marquez, chief business officer at Adams County School District 14, said the tournament has grown from 24 to 40 teams and holds a lot of meaning for families in the district.
"Yes, it is as special as the cheers that you hear," Marquez said. "The parents get to see their sons and daughters. They get to connect with other parents as well. This is something that really brings the community together. If there is one event when we can all be together, it is this one."
Parents Laura Duran and Lydia Robinson cheered from the sidelines as their children competed in the championship match of their age group. The weekend became even more memorable when their team claimed the World Cup title.
"It's good for the community to get out and enjoy each other's presence and just have fun," Robinson said.
As exciting as it is to win, Marquez explained that this tournament is also hitting on greater goals, with students gaining a better understanding of the global spirit of soccer.
"This looks like a soccer tournament, but it's actually a big classroom," Marquez said. "So, because the students and every player get to sign up individually, they get to choose the country they would like to represent, and in choosing that, they learn about geography and learn about other places on the other side of I-25."
As thrilling as these matches are, Loria knows this weekend is just the opening whistle for even greater soccer fever as the World Cup kicks off next month.
"I think soccer unites the entire world," Loria said. "We have the FIFA World Cup coming up this summer, it's in the air already, but in our communities, it is majority Latino, you know, it's in our veins. So, it has been a great opportunity, and there's great momentum this year."
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** game played at DICK's Sporting Goods Park
other home matches scheduled to be played at Centennial Stadium