Margaret Deoliveira

As a student athlete, the most important issue in our world today is obesity. One program may not change a world-wide epidemic, but it may help one child and that person could help another.

Sports has always been an important part of Margaret’s life, so she turned to sports to help address this issue. At an early age, Margaret learned that soccer is not just a sport where you kick a ball and run up and down the field. Soccer is also a means of teaching self-discipline, team work and how to deal with defeat. The main pleasure of soccer and sports in general are individuals becoming one, defensive lines soaring together and victory.

Margaret created a program that is simple, yet efficient. Her program encourages kids that have been blessed with a lot of sports equipment to donate to kids who do not have equipment. She also contacts local sports teams such as the Somerset Patriots and collects equipment at their games. She will also be holding a mini two-day camp in her town of Berkeley Heights. The admission price of the camp would be either new or gently used sports equipment. It could be anything from a soccer ball to roller blades. In return for their generous gifts, the children will learn about sports and nutrition during the two days of camp.

Margaret will then take the donated equipment to another town and hold another two day camp. The camp will be free, and the children that attend will receive sporting equipment for coming to the camp. This way, children are helping children indirectly. Margaret likes the idea of those being helped, then taking the opportunity to help someone else. This way, the children will remember it and hopefully continue to do the same into adulthood.