The kids were nervous as they ran onto the vast green of BMO Field at Exhibition Place.Shouting and smiling, the trepidation dissipated as they were greeted and cheered on by members of England's West Ham United Football Club.
It was an experience the participants of the Academic and Sports Enrichment (ASE) Summer Camp would normally never have had - not only the opportunity to be on the BMO field but to have world-famous soccer players practice with them.
The West Ham United team joined the group of 40 boys and 10 girls from Regent Park, Moss Park and Riverdale on July 25.
ASE Summer Camp and After School College is an initiative by Toronto Youth Development. Its mission is to teach, mentor and challenge youth through a curriculum of academic subjects, sports and character development classes. It's a seven-week summer camp that combines academics and sport enrichment. There are two camps, one for boys and one for girls.
Brandon Nguyen, who lives in Regent Park, has attended the camp for the past two years. Of all the activities and events he has been a party to, July 25 takes the cake.
"This is one of the best trips I've ever been on," Nguyen said. "I'm really excited they had time to teach us some stuff. We are having fun and they are really nice."
West Ham was in town for an MLS Soccer All-Star Game on July 24 and to visit a soccer camp in Oakville, scouting talent for its training academy.
Miranda Nagalingam, head of press for West Ham United, said the soccer club is recognized for their dedication toward the local communities in London, U.K.
"We have a section of the club where we do outreach," she said. "We know kids see these people as role models and we hope they are more likely to listen to them than a teacher or an authority figure."
The area of East London, where the team comes from, is similar to the kind of area these youth come from in Toronto, she said.
"It's very inner city and there unfortunately is lots of trouble with youth and gun and knife culture," Nagalingam said.
It was by chance that this extraordinary experience came about, Brian Keaney said.
Keaney, the executive director of Toronto Youth Development, explained that one of the program co-ordinators was looking for an in-kind donation of T-shirts. When they contacted Umbro Canada, the company offered to not only donate the T-shirts but to arrange for the children to practice with the West Ham team.
The experience of practicing with West Ham, Keaney said, encapsulates the program on the sports side.
"This event will be a highlight, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event," Keaney said. "It shows them a team setting for sure."
Other highlights of the camp, Keaney said, is a trip the children take to Canada's Wonderland and a four-day camping trip for the boys camp.