Success in soccer is the result of getting great touches.
 
Some touches result in goals, while others set up scoring opportunities for others.
 
For members of the Colorado College women's soccer team, some of their most rewarding touches occur during the off-season.
 
On Saturday, May 5, more than 20 Tigers spent the day at the Garden of the Gods, assisting the Rocky Mountain Field Institute at the popular outdoor recreation area in Colorado Springs.
 
Team members worked to restore marked hiking routes as well as closing off a number of social trails that are formed when visitors wander off designated paths and destroy the park's native vegetation.
 
“It was a hot day for manual labor, but it was fun,” senior midfielder Hannah Peterson said. “It was like an assembly line with bucket brigades and team building.
 
“It was a great way for us to give back to the community. We've all been to the Garden of the Gods, so it's cool to give back to a place where we all enjoy spending time.”
 
Several Tigers have demonstrated a willingness to go the extra mile to extend their touch.
 
The program's involvement with Soccer Without Borders, which currently operates six year-round programs in four countries on three continents, has been going on for years. The organization's mission is to use soccer as a vehicle for positive change by providing under-served youth a toolkit for growth, inclusion and personal success.
 
Five members of this year's team – Peterson, along with senior midfielder Kelsey Wise, junior goalkeeper Hanna Berglund, junior midfielder/defender Marika Viragh and sophomore forward Lynn Froetscher – all traveled to Central America in 2011 to work with SWB.
 
Viragh made her third international trip during spring break this past March, spending nearly two weeks in Kampala, Uganda, where her brother, Stefan, is serving as a long-term intern with Soccer Without Borders.
 
While in Kampala, Viragh had the opportunity to practice with a men's second-division team comprised of college-aged players. On Saturday, March 17, she trained the entire girls side – between 15 to 20 players ages 8 to 20.
 
“It was good for them to see a girl come in and play with them,” Viragh said. “The situation in Nicaragua had more structure than where I was in Uganda, but there also were a lot of similarities.”
 
In addition to featuring the 'World's Game,' Soccer Without Borders provides an opportunity for participants to learn English and life skills that they would not otherwise have access to in their home country.
 
“You have to pay to go to school in Uganda,” Viragh said. “Soccer Without Borders is free. Being a part of that for almost two weeks was pretty incredible. It was beyond rewarding.”
 
A little more than a month later, Viragh, Peterson and six of their teammates – Froetscher, Berglund, freshman midfielder Mary Bowman, freshman forward Jaclyn Silsby, freshman midfielder Alex McCready and freshman defender Jordan Savold – travelled to Greeley, Colo., where they ran a one-day clinic for a group of Somali refugees.
 
SWB supporters have helped the Somalis set up leagues and arrange for places to play, but it's not easy to find coaches. That's why the CC players jumped on the opportunity to get involved.
 
In addition to being within two hours of home, the biggest difference from the normal Soccer Without Borders experience was working with a group of 25 boys instead of exclusively girls as had been the case on CC's previous trips to Guatemala and Nicaragua.
 
“It was cool to help out more locally, but within the SWB program,” Peterson said. “It was not really something they were used to, but it was fun and the boys really enjoyed playing with and against us. They were giving us a hard time.”
 
“We challenged them, especially the older boys. At my station, we did a lot of footwork and tried to challenge them and really get them going.”
 
The Tigers impressed the boys with their soccer skills.
 
“We demonstrated how to perform skills like juggling, and their initial reaction was 'I can't do that,' ” Viragh said. “But once they saw an example, they worked very hard to perform that skill. It was cool to see them work hard and learn new techniques.”
 
“It was such a positive experience for the girls who participated, as well as the boys. I definitely think we will do it again.”
 
The relatively short distance between Colorado Springs and Greeley afforded more CC players the opportunity and experience to work with young players, likely motivating a new group to participate at the international level.
 
“Whether our teammates are actively involved in the trips or helping raise money for the program, everyone on the team supports Soccer Without Borders,” Peterson said.
 
As these Tigers can attest, touching lives through soccer is never out of season.