02 / Our Program

Sports mentorship
in action.

Santa Clara student teams partner with schools and classrooms to create inclusive activities around each group’s needs.

Program Model

How we game plan
for growth.

Each partnership is designed according to the logistical, physical, or emotional needs of the particular educational setting and the individuals participating.

  1. 01

    Listen

    Meet with school staff and students to understand goals, needs, and limitations.

  2. 02

    Plan

    Design inclusive activities for the specific classroom or group.

  3. 03

    Play

    Lead welcoming, hands-on workshops through sports and movement.

  4. 04

    Reflect

    Capture a short recap so every session can inform the next.

Team Structure

Our lineup for success.

We understand that our volunteers make this program possible; that is why, in order to best serve the community, we aim to meet the needs of our volunteers. Here is how that works:

Partner schools↓Classroom groups↓Volunteer teams↓BOOST leadership

Volunteer teams support a school relationship while BOOST leadership coordinates staffing, planning, transportation, equipment, and continuity.

In Practice

Our play-by-play.

With recognition that every session will look different, we have provided an outline of what a typical workshop could look like.

Today’s sport: Soccer
  1. 01

    Active warmup

    Designed to get minds and bodies moving

    Activity: All students and volunteers form a circle. Starting with a volunteer, each person says their name and a favorite food. When the person with the ball is done, they pass it to someone who has not shared yet until everyone has had a chance to introduce themselves.

  2. 02

    Team warmup

    A slower-paced activity that encourages teamwork

    Activity: Form groups of four, with two people facing the other two about ten yards away. The first person moves to the other side and gives a high five, signaling the next person to repeat the movement. The relay can use jogging, high knees, lunges, or other adapted movements, and it can become a friendly race as the group grows more comfortable.

  3. 03

    Sport introduction

    Colored-cone dribbling and recall

    Activity: Set out cones in four or more colors. A volunteer dribbles from cone to cone and calls out each color. Students remember and repeat the sequence—for example, blue, red, yellow, green—while peers can call out the next color to help. The activity supports listening, active recall, teamwork, and motor skills.

  4. 04

    Hungry Hippos

    The final game

    Activity: Split students into even groups and place the balls in a box at one end of the field. Teams dribble or pass the balls into a second box at the opposite end. After each minute, one person enters the “swamp” between the boxes and tries to redirect the balls out of bounds. The team that moves the most balls wins.