TOPSoccer program takes off for young players with special needs

The Greenseids, a family of four from Bellmore, came together to combine their lifelong passions and begin a program for The Outreach Program for Soccer, also known as TOPSoccer that connects special needs children with peers and mentors for free.

The Greenseid family’s plans for TOPSoccer began in 2023 when they shared their interests in athletics, community, and education. Each member of the family shares the title of co-founder of the chapter, part of Bellmore PAL.

“We were talking about children with special needs and what we could do,” Craig Greenseid said. “So, we talked about doing it as a family.”

“It’s brought our family together, it’s brought the community together,” his wife, Rebecca Greenseid, said. “This is our third season doing it, and it’s been an outstanding privilege to be part of this.”

Rebecca Greenseid, mother of two, has taught preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first-graders for 23 years. For the past 10 years, she has taught first-grade classes at Hewlett Elementary School using Integrated Co-Teaching — a method of education that specializes in teaching a classroom with a mixed group of students, some with disabilities and some without. She took that expertise to the field.

“I’ve been doing this for 23 years, and now I do it on the weekends with my children, my husband, and all of our friends,” Rebecca Greenseid said. “We even have the grandmas and grandpas coming.”

Craig Greenseid coached soccer for his children since his son, Zach Greenseid, was 2 years old. Zach, a senior, and his sister Brooke Greenseid, a freshman, are both student athletes at John F. Kennedy High School in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District.

The siblings learned how to play soccer, lead their peers, and understand people with learning disabilities from their parents.

“It’s one of my favorite sports and it’s given so much to my life,” Zach Greenseid said. “That kind of thought process went into founding TOP Soccer — I wanted to be able to provide the opportunity to these children who don’t have it in our area.”

TOPSoccer is a broader program, part of U.S. Youth Soccer, the largest sporting agency in the country. When the Greenseids’ program was in its infancy, the two siblings reached out to the sporting agency for guidance on how to organize a soccer program in their local community. Today, they  manage equipment, scheduling, and coordinating the volunteers.

“I’ve loved it,” Zach said. “I like working with people and leading a group. I love it especially when it’s people that you care about, providing them an opportunity to get involved and get community service hours. I’m thankful for them wanting to make an impact.”

Brooke Greenseid is a junior varsity soccer player and instructs drills for TOP Soccer — bringing along her teammates to volunteer for the program.

The program runs for eight-weeks with a one-hour session on Saturdays, where players practice soccer drills and end with a full match.

“It’s probably the most rewarding hour of my week,” Craig said.

The program is a unique asset for families in Bellmore-Merrick, giving parents of special needs children an outlet for their children to make friends, exercise and be a part of a team in a way they may not have had a chance to before.

“It’s really an opportunity for the parents to sit back and enjoy watching their children participate in the program, if they haven’t had that opportunity in the past,” Craig said.

At the heart of the programs’ success is the “buddy system,” according to Craig. Each player with a disability is paired with a volunteer their age who would participate in the program with them during drills and matches. The volunteers are fellow high school students from districts across Bellmore and Merrick.

The reception over the past year has been overwhelmingly positive.

“The parents get pride and joy from watching their kids participate,” Craig Greenseid said. “The kids feel like they’re part of something, like they’re part of a team, and they’re part of a community.”

“There are parents who are in tears — happy tears — just seeing their kids out of the house, participating, communicating,” Rebecca said. “That’s what we want. We want them to come out, have fun and just have that cooperation and interaction with peers. It’s really been a positive experience.”

To learn more about TOPSoccer, and local programming, visit USYouthSoccer.org/TOPSoccer.