Growing The Beautiful Game at San Quentin State Prison
Marc Dos Santos reflects on his first training session inside the yard at San Quentin
The San Francisco Deltas will be making trips to San Quentin State Prison to provide coaching clinics and play games with inmates. Head coach Marc Dos Santos, players and staff visited the prison for the first time on June 27, 2017. Following each visit, members of the Deltas will give an inside look on the impact the visits had on them. (Photos courtesy of San Quentin State Prison)
I have experienced many different situations in many different countries. Soccer has given me the opportunity to travel and meet a lot of different people. I always believed that we need to do more with the position that has been given to us. We shouldn’t be in professional sports only to perform. This is a fantastic platform and we should use it to give back to others.
Last Tuesday, some players, some members of our coaching staff and I had the opportunity to coach two teams in the San Quentin State Prison. This was a new experience for all of us! I’ve done many training sessions in my career. In different fields, with different players and in different countries, but I was missing a training session in a prison yard…
When we first arrived, we didn’t really know what to expect and I think we were all a little bit apprehensive, but from the first step that we took in that yard, we just tried to do what we always do. We focused on giving our very best and coaching players. I was very surprised by the willingness of everyone to learn and give their very best and, suddenly, I totally forgot where I was.
Suddenly, I was just on a field coaching players, and that was the only thing in my mind. I didn’t know what their background was and it wasn’t important, in that moment. The only thing that we all cared about was to give the best of us during the time that we were on the field.
I have to say that I was extremely surprised by the commitment of everyone during the game. I was blessed to coach a game that was played with such passion and intensity.
In the middle of pro sports, we tend to become selfish and live in our little bubbles, but we were not created for that. We were created to give the very best of us at every moment and use the platform that was given to us to impact other lives.
We all had a great time and there is no doubt that we will coach there again!
