For the members of the Wright City girls' soccer team, April 30 and May 1 were grueling days.

Playing back-to-back overtime games within a little more than 24 hours spent all the energy the Wildcats could muster.

On May 2, though, the team caught its second wind, thanks to an emotionally uplifting experience. That Saturday, the Wildcats traveled to Worldwide Technologies Soccer Park in Fenton to work with the Special Needs Soccer Association – better known as SPENSA.

Junior Olivia Wilson was one of the players who took part.

"SPENSA was such a great experience,’ Wilson said. “I think it went really well, and we all had a lot of fun. I got to buddy up with an awesome kid named Jacob, and it was really cool working together, passing the ball, helping him find the right moments to take a shot, and making sure everyone stayed safe. It was definitely something I was proud to be a part of and I’d love to do again.” 

Wright City Coach Tori Harris said that, even though this was the program’s first time volunteering, she’s had experiences with SPENSA from her playing days.

“When I was in high school and college, I had the opportunity to volunteer with my teams, and I knew it would be a meaningful experience for our players as well,” Harris said. “I plan to continue making this a tradition within our soccer program for both the girls’ and boys’ teams in the future. The girls did a great job and I’m looking forward to going back.”

SPENSA is a St. Louis-based, not-for-profit soccer program for young people with disabilities. SPENSA is a member club of the Missouri Youth Soccer Association, which is a member of USYS, the national youth soccer organization.

This program is open to any boy or girl with a disability, ages 5-21. It is designed to bring the excitement and fun of playing soccer to players who traditionally have not had a place in the youth soccer system.

Kevin Byrne, a SPENSA board member, said the organization relies on outside volunteers.

 “SPENSA does not exist without the volunteers,” Byrne said. “Because of the sheer number of volunteers needed each week, it requires the need for teams and groups.”

Harris said that players were paired with an athlete – either one-on-one or in small groups of two to three. 

The coach added that Wright City players spent time playing soccer and participating in a variety of fun activities together. These included games like Simon Says, dribbling and shooting drills, cheering on their buddy during scrimmages, and finishing the day with the Hokey Pokey.

Junior Juliana Lopez-Luna said that the chance to combine soccer with doing something good within the community appealed to her.

It was a bonus, she said, that she and her teammates were able to have so much fun while doing it.

“SPENSA was a really cool and fun experience,” Lopez-Luna said. “It was my first time going, and we did many fun activities with our buddies. We first did a passing drill, then they played a fun little scrimmage. I played goalie for a little while, and some of them had really hard kicks, but especially my buddy John; he was the sweetest. One thing he told me was ‘I never get tired, I’m so good.” He had positive energy, and we would do a teamwork pass, which made him very happy. Lastly, we ended with a Hokey Pokey dance, and he sure did show me some moves, just like on the field.”

Junior Avery Meier said that the gravity of the experience was easy to see on everyone’s faces.

The event left its mark not only on the athletes but also on the volunteers from Wright City. 

“SPENSA brought everyone together and the smiles and the happiness brought joy to everyone,” Meier said. “Seeing that made you think about how much you made their whole day.”