By Paul Danzer, Columbian
Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: June 9, 2016, 6:35pm
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Timbers defender Nat Borchers joins students as they celebrate a goal while playing soccer Thursday afternoon, at Burton Elementary School. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)Photo Gallery
The goal was a simple one on Thursday afternoon for Nat Borchers: Have fun.
The Portland Timbers defender accomplished that during a visit to Burton Elementary School in Vancouver.
“I was playing soccer with a kid and he’s telling me he scored 135 goals and he’s just really excited about playing soccer and having fun,” Borchers said with a smile. “There are other kids who don’t play soccer who want to play tag or tether ball. It’s a lot of fun.”
The visit to Burton was part of Stand Together Week. The fifth-annual community involvement week had Timbers and Thorns players and the soccer clubs’ staff members to participate in events around the Portland metro area. Joining Borchers on the playground were Timbers Youth Sporting Director Mike Smith, office staff from the club and volunteers from Adidas.
Burton Elementary School was selected for the appearance because the school partners with the nonprofit Playworks to help improve the recess experience for students and teachers.
“Our goal is to use recess as a platform to try to improve the school climate, to try to recover instructional hours for teachers through effective transitions to and from recess,” said Wes Minor, a Playworks program manager who took part in Thursday’s activities. Reduced bullying and improved inclusion among the young students are also targets of the Playworks program, Minor said.
The visit by Borchers helps raise awareness of the Playworks program. But according to Minor the real impact is having adults from outside the school show they care about the kids.
“Today the most important thing is that the kids get to experience some adults who show an interest in them, value them, are here to have fun,” Minor said.
Borchers seemed to enjoy playing in small soccer games with students, exchanging high-fives and offering encouragement. Noting that the Timbers week-long Stand Together Week is unique among Major League Soccer clubs, Borchers said it is one of his favorite activities.
“We get to come out and interact with the kids and kind of be a kid again ourselves, play with them, enjoy their energy and just have a lot of fun,” Borchers said.
Smith, the Timbers Youth Academy coach, said that his skill at the game of tag is not what it once was.
“All the kids are much faster than me now,” Smith said. “It’s great to see the joy on their faces. The Playworks idea is phenomenal. The respect that the teachers command with the kids paying attention, I’ve been really impressed.”
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