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Earthquakes give clinic for youth soccer players

The San Jose Earthquakes and the Menlo Park-Atherton AYSO Region 109 held a soccer clinic on Aug. 31 at Burgess Park in Menlo Park.

Five Earthquakes players — including two Menlo Park residents, Bobby Burling and Jason Hernandez — led kids age 9 and above through an hour-long skills clinic. The clinic was for soccer players who had registered for the fall 2011 session.

"Bobby and I love getting out into the community and any time you get to do something special in your own backyard, it means even more," said said Hernandez, No. 21 on the San Jose Earthquakes.

Rex Bessler, an AYSO Region 109 player and Menlo Park resident, said he goes to the Earthquakes games, so getting to see the players up close was "really amazing."

"The players were friendly and encouraging," he added.

As part of the ongoing collaboration between Menlo Park-Atherton AYSO Region 109 and the San Jose Earthquakes, more than 1,600 children who are part of the region had a chance to attend the Sept. 10 game between San Jose Earthquakes and Chicago Fire.

AYSO Region 109 is an all-volunteer youth soccer league that serves the Menlo Park-Atherton community. It has 140 teams, 430 coaches, and 170 referees. AYSO Region 109 is an all-volunteer organization.

Information submitted by Sal Arora of Menlo Park, who is on the volunteer staff of Menlo Park-Atherton AYSO Region 109.