Everyday Inspirations: Maria Baker Built 'Special Kickers' Soccer Program

Everyday Inspirations is a series that features people in Patch communities who inspire others through their work, or people who have faced extraordinary situations and grown from them. They have been featured by other people in the community that have been inspired by the nominees.

Name: Maria Baker 
Town: Danvers, MA
Nominated by: Sharon Clement

Why is this person an "Everyday Inspiration?" 
Maria has taken her knowledge of working with autistic children to benefit other children in the town of Danvers.

Has the nominee's life been changed in an extraordinary way? 

Danvers Youth Soccer received a financial donation and we identified a special needs soccer training session as a gap in community opportunities. From my observation, our soccer buddies get just as much out the experience as do our Special Kickers.

How does this person work to make others' lives better?

Maria volunteers her time to organize and plan our Danvers Youth Soccer special needs training for children in the community with cognitive learning disabilities. The program is called Special Kickers and enrolls 14-20 players per season to participate in both agility and soccer style drills at the Danvers Indoor Sports Arena.

Spring 2014 represents the fourth session for Special Kickers. Danvers Youth Soccer received a generous donation in 2012 that was utilized to launch this program. Maria also coordinates 20 older soccer players to help coach the younger players and they are called buddies. Maria has built this program and changed the lives for our 20 special kickers.