HOUSTON – CP Soccer Houston was founded in 2018, the program is open to players ages 10+, affected by cerebral palsy, stroke, or traumatic brain injury who are ambulatory.
“We’re very proud of the relationship we have with HTX Soccer and the great job Coach Keith does for us,” founder Deven Hull said.
Besides the obvious notion that kids need sunshine and exercise, the founder of CP Soccer Houston says it’s a great way to level the playing field for children living with cerebral palsy.
“This is a medium where they can be with each other, they can create comradery among some kids that have the same afflictions,” Hull said.
Despite the club’s notable growth, the HTX Soccer organization still wants more kids to participate. They currently have 25 active players, and they’d like to double that.
“We want to have a foundation where we can get kids in the game and keep them in the game,” Hull said.
The team is led by 2x Paralympian (Athens and London) Coach Keith Johnson. He’s played soccer since he was 5 years old and has quite the resume.
“Basically, I’ll help them with their balance if they fall down, I’ll get them back up, but if they say I can’t do it, I’m like yeah you can do it,“ Johnson said.
Johnson proves what someone with CP can do if they apply themselves. He doesn’t often take no for an answer but is continuously impressed by the toughness of his athletes.
“The games on Saturdays are getting more competitive and a lot more physical, when they take a knock, they get back up, they never complain about a foul, they just take it in stride and do their best,” Johnson said.
No soccer practice is complete without eager parents watching from the sidelines. Matt Fuller’s daughter Riley started competing five years ago.
“It’s been great I think especially for her socially being around other kids that are also CP has been wonderful for her, she’s made some friends out of it. It’s hard to find other kids that are dealing with the same stuff, so it’s good for them to be together,” Fuller said.
Riley was having a great time on the pitch. You could hear her yelling excitedly in the video above.
“It’s been good just from a physical standpoint, her balance and her coordination, she didn’t really understand the game of soccer honestly 5 years ago. So just being able to learn the game, we’ve taken her to a Dynamo game now, so just general knowledge of the game has been wonderful, she loves it,” said Fuller.
For more information about the organization, visit: cpsoccer.us and HTXSOCCER.com.