San Jose Earthquakes defender Nick Garcia visited an enthusiastic school assembly at Walter L. Bachrodt Elementary School in San Jose Wednesday, as part of the Amway Global Kicks for Kids Program. Amway Global donated 150 tickets for the students to attend the Earthquakes home opener on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. against the New England Revolution at Buck Shaw Stadium.
To start the day, the students were gathered outside the classrooms waiting patiently for Garcia to show up and when he did the students greeted him with cheers and applause.
Garcia used the hour-long school visit to speak to the students about the importance of exercising, eating healthy diets and staying in school. He started his speech by asking the students what their favorite food was and then discussed the importance of eating a well-balanced diet. The Texas native told children that they should eat healthy foods because it will give them more energy throughout the day. He also reminded them to get their rest at night so they wake up ready to go.
The Quakes defender then emphasized the importance of being active. He showed the crowd some soccer moves and pulled a few students from the crowd to participate in a juggling contest. To finish the day, Garcia answered questions from the students and teachers. He also helped give away Amway Global/Earthquakes shirts and 150 tickets to the students.
"I really enjoyed coming out here and talking to these children," said Garcia. "I hope they learned a bit about nutrition and the importance of staying active. I am looking forward to seeing the kids out at the stadium on Saturday."
The Earthquakes and Amway Global teamed up to create the Amway Global Kicks for Kids program in 2009. Through the program, Earthquakes players will visit 15 schools or community centers in the Bay Area to discuss the importance of being active and living a healthy lifestyle. The next school visit will take place on Wednesday, March 25 when Jason Hernandez visits Mount Pleasant High School in San Jose.
