ACCESS U Brings “Beyond the Game” Workshops to Young Student-Athletes in Claremont and Chula Vista

ACCESS U Foundation, in partnership with Yours In Soccer Foundation (YSF) and Gritness, brought its new Beyond the Game initiative to young student-athletes across Southern California, hosting workshops in Claremont and Chula Vista on August 20 and 21. The initiative is designed to motivate young athletes to pursue higher education, cultivate a championship mindset, and build the skills and confidence needed to succeed in athletics, academics, and life.

The workshops, hosted with Claremont Stars FC and Chula Vista FC, brought together U15 and U16 boys and girls teams for educational sessions focused on mental resilience and personal development. Students explored self-awareness, learned practical tools to manage pressure and adversity, and reflected on their identity beyond sport. A concurrent focus on college pathway awareness encouraged student-athletes to expand their vision of what is possible and begin seeing higher education as a viable and attainable part of their future.

The program featured three interactive sessions, each focusing on a core area led by a partner organization:

• College Pathway Awareness: Yours In Soccer Foundation encouraged students to explore college opportunities beyond soccer.

• Mental Fitness: Gritness focused on building emotional awareness and developing skills for emotional regulation.

• Goal Setting and Visualization: ACCESS U Foundation introduced strategies to help students set meaningful goals, visualize success, and build confidence.

For ACCESS U COO Eugenia Chow, Beyond the Game is an opportunity to expand the organization’s reach and impact to a broader community. “We’re really excited to team up with Yours In Soccer Foundation and Gritness, take what we provide our student-athletes and be able to offer it to a wider audience,” Chow said.

Yours In Soccer Foundation Athletic Program Director Beto Vega highlighted the importance of reaching young people at an important stage in their development: "This age is a very pivotal moment in the kids' ability to understand opportunities and how valuable they are to this world and to what they can become of themselves if given the access and resources to excel and reach their full potential. I think that Beyond the Game, it's a small glimpse,” Vega said.

The value of making these resources accessible was also reflected by Chula Vista FC Academy Director and Head Coach Héctor Díaz, who emphasized how programs like Beyond the Game can help level the playing field for young athletes: “These are resources that maybe another community, another kid gets and pays a lot of money for. Our community necessarily, not all the time, not everyone could afford it, and it brings out equality among every single member of Vista to be able to pursue that college dream,” Díaz said. 

Through Beyond the Game, ACCESS U, YSF, and Gritness aim to continue creating spaces where student-athletes can develop not only as players, but also as students and individuals.