This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
At first, the group of Skyline High girls' soccer players didn't know how to break the ice when they arrived at the Hser Ner Moo Community and Welcome Center to spend the afternoon with kids, mostly refugees.
"But when they pulled out the soccer balls, they immediately had an entrée with these kids," said Paul Cassell, the Eagles' junior-varsity coach.
About 40 Skyline players and at least that many children shared an engaging soccer-fueled conversation after school recently. The Skyline teens wanted to make the most of a bye week and opted to use the spare afternoon volunteering at the center named for Hser Ner Moo, the 7-year-old refugee who was murdered in 2008.
Eagles' team captain Anna Cassell said, "I think no matter who you are, where you come from, what language you speak, you can speak through the language of soccer."
The players first helped children with multiplication tables and fractions, then moved to the field outside the center, at 479 E. 2250 South, to play the sport they love. The teens gave piggyback rides, held hands, giggled with children and donated 20 used soccer balls to the center.
On average, 45 kids who live in the South Parc apartment complex (where Hser Ner Moo lived) and the surrounding neighborhood, visit the center, which is funded by a federal grant, each weekday to participate in after-school programs.
"Our mission is to make people feel welcome, and help these kids integrate into society and feel that they are part of this country," said Domoina Voniarisoa, the center's project coordinator. "I think having these girls come and be with these kids brings up their self-esteem."
The students who use the center's services are from "Africa, Iraq, Southeast Asia, all over the place," Voniarisoa said.
Several Skyline players said hanging out with the young refugees helped them feel grateful for what they have.
"We come from such an affluent part of town, and I think we all thought it would be a great opportunity for us to really give back to the community," Anna Cassell said. "We're lucky with all we have. We have a great field, great equipment. Here's just an opportunity to help kids that just need a little love."
The extra help is welcome.
"We've never had such an organized, large amount of volunteers at one time so I think this is something that they'll remember," said Josh Huffaker, a Utah Federation for Youth employee stationed at the center. "I think they'll get the feeling that there's people they don't know that care about them. So, I'm sure that they would love to see these girls again because it looks like they're really having fun."
Team captain Aria Hadley believes the experience was a great chance for the Eagles to bond.
"I think it's going to do our team wonders," Hadley said. "I think we're going to be able to play really well together. … I won't be forgetting this anytime soon."