Poetry In Play
Carter, USA
Carter is a poet-athlete who participates in DC SCORES' after-school soccer, poetry, and service learning program. Every year, DC SCORES' award-winning program serves more than 3,500 young people at 68 District of Columbia public and public charter schools.
The program brings together youth from across D.C. for soccer matches and tournaments, poetry slams, and other events. DC SCORES has operated in D.C. since 1994 and is the founding affiliate of the Official World Cup Legacy program, The SCORES Network, which operates in 13 cities across North America.
Carter also participates in DC SCORES' Youth WORD Project (YWP), the nonprofit's enhanced poetry program.
My name is Carter and I am 10 years old. I go to Barnard Elementary School in Washington, DC. I have been playing soccer in DC SCORES for three years. DC SCORES is a program that does soccer, poetry, and service learning - which is community service projects based on our poems. I started playing Junior SCORES in second grade with some of my friends. It was fun. But in the beginning, I didn’t want to do the poetry. And now, I think it is really fun, even poetry.
My coaches are Coach Shanice, Coach Shay, Coach Zarea, and Coach Brown. Coach Zarea was the Youth WORD Project (YWP) coach, which is for poet-athletes. YWP is a poetry program on Saturdays where we write, practice, and go on field trips to poetry and arts spaces around the city. Every May, we perform our poems at the Our Words Our City (OWOC) event. The other three are my soccer coaches at my school.
What did you try to show with the photos?
Lots of photos were taken during our Jamboree at Catholic University and we were having fun. Jamboree is like a soccer party at the end of the season where we play co-ed games. There is a bounce house where many people got hurt but we don’t talk about that! All the schools that participate in DC SCORES come to Jamboree.
In one photo there are some kids from another school. They were doing a soccer game where you had to shoot the ball at the sides when it lit up.
There are lots of photos with my friends Sara and Alejandra. Chaos and fun. In one photo I just got hit with the ball in my back and they were trying to make me smile and put ice on my back.
My favorite photo is the one where my friends and I (Sara, Kylie, Drew, Jelisa) are sitting on a log and we are at Capital City during a boys soccer game. It was super dark and it was very difficult to see.
Was there any wider meaning with the photos?
If you try new things, you might be surprised by all the wonderful things that follow. New friends, fun activities…
It is me being a kid. Part of a soccer team. Being on a soccer team teaches you hard work. Sticking with stuff even. It also teaches you how to be a team player. DC SCORES made us do poetry and I could barely write sentences, and I definitely didn’t like performing. But doing the poetry during DC SCORES practice got better. We wrote a poem as a team.
In practice they showed us the Youth Poetry Slam and I raised my hand to volunteer to be a solo poem performer. I practiced and was nervous because it was my first time. I tried really hard. We tried out in front of the Principal and Assistant Principal and our coaches. It was scary because I had never performed in front of the Principal. I told my friend Hannah to go first and she did. She seemed really confident. Then I went. I did pretty good and was selected to give the solo portion in the poetry slam.
In the poetry slam there are a lot of schools. There were so many people there that it filled the auditorium. People waited in lines for over an hour to get in. We performed and did great. I did the solo poem for our school. We won second place. I went from disliking performing poetry to loving it. Now I spend hours every Saturday with a group of friends making memories, developing new friendships and creating poetry. I used to not like poetry at all. You might find new things that you like if you try it.
Seeing these photos reminded me of friendships changing. I sometimes feel like I don’t belong in the world where people are always on their phones doing TikTok. They get more worried about their life on the phone and they forget about their friends in the real world. This is what my poem for OWOC is about. I am sad that some of my friends have changed and I miss the way it used to be.
What do you do at DC SCORES? What impact has DC SCORES and playing soccer had on you?
In DC SCORES we do poetry, soccer and community service. In the fall we focus on soccer and poetry. In the spring we do community service. I learned that soccer is a team sport and team work is needed. There is no “I” in “team”. I learned that practice makes progress. The Youth Word Project made me a better writer. I learned that my words are important and people want to hear. I also have learned skills that help me in school like using descriptive details in my writing. I like writing more than I did. I feel more confident. I like being around other people that create.
In the community service projects we focus on ways to help our community. In the past we did toiletry (collecting hygiene products) and a toy drive for a homeless shelter. We also made food for people who were homeless. We can do anything. At my school, the students are the leaders. We decide what we will do, how we will do it, and the way we will get it done. We learn leadership. We also learn it feels nice to be helpful.
How does taking part in DC SCORES make you feel? What do you like most?
It makes me feel like a better person. It makes me feel happy and like I am learning something new. There are so many things I like about DC SCORES, but the best part is all the fun memories I made with people I love. Like going to Washington Spirit games, the jamboree, soccer games, practice, poetry slam, and end of season parties.
After school, we usually play soccer on the makeshift soccer field aka the playground at Barnard ES. Girls and boys play together. Girls can play soccer DCIAA (DC Interscholastic Athletic Association) and DC SCORES soccer in Middle School. In high school a few DC schools have girls soccer teams, but only a few.
What are the opportunities for girls to play soccer in your community?
After school, we usually play soccer on the makeshift soccer field aka the playground at Barnard ES. Girls and boys play together. Girls can play soccer DCIAA (DC Interscholastic Athletic Association) and DC SCORES soccer in Middle School. In high school a few DC schools have girls soccer teams, but only a few.
What are your ambitions and hopes for the future?
I hope to be a better writer and hope to write about poetry that has an impact. Make sure I stick with stuff consistently. I am committed to doing the best I can and to use my creativity. The 3 Cs are important - creativity, consistency, and commitment.
What do you think the future looks like for soccer in DC and the USA? What would you like to change?
I think soccer is getting more popular in DC each year. I have been going to Washington Spirit games for three years now. They are so much fun. I like the chanting. I have definitely noticed that there are more people in the crowds now and people talking about the DC soccer teams. I also see a lot more people wearing the jerseys. I also get excited and feel more connected to DC when I hear people mention the Spirit.
If I could change things in the soccer world, I would make it more equitable. For example, if one school gets their names on the back of their jerseys, they all should. If one school gets good training equipment, they all should. Some schools barely have enough players for a team and don’t wear jerseys.
