San Jose Earthquakes defender Jamil Roberts visited Adelante Dual Language Academy in San Jose on Friday as part of the Amway Global Kicks for Kids Program. Roberts was greeted in the school assembly hall by over 200 boisterous students. After settling the crowd of kindergarten through third grade children, Principal Sandra Garcia introduced Roberts and got the appearance underway.
Roberts opened the school visit by describing his background and the road he took to become an Earthquake. He stressed the role an active lifestyle played in his childhood and how from an early age, he knew that he wanted to be a professional athlete. This early aspiration encouraged him to get involved in any sport possible to give him the best chance of succeeding. Along with being active, Roberts articulated how important eating healthy was to his success. A fan of broccoli and carrots, he told the children the food choices he makes before and after practice and games to help him perform to the best of his ability.
A San Jose native, Roberts got the kids involved in the appearance many times throughout the day. The kids were more than eager to jump on stage with Roberts to answer various questions ranging from their favorite foods to their favorite exercises. After an extensive and riveting question and answer session that included questions about his future as a very famous soccer player, Roberts pulled two children on stage to participate in a soccer skills demonstration with him. Roberts and the children passed the ball between each other and played a round of one-touch to the cheers and applause of their peers.
To wrap up the afternoon, Earthquakes staff handed out over 150 jersey replica shirts and 300 tickets donated by Amway Global to the students to attend the Earthquakes next home game on April 11th at 1:00 PM against the Chicago Fire at Buck Shaw Stadium.
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 Tuesday, April 14 at Lockwood Elementary School in Oakland.
