Women soccer players score big at Kaiser Permanente

They may be tough on the field but the women of the San Jose State University Soccer Team were smiling and giggling at the antics of one patient at the Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara (California) hospital during a goodwill visit recently.
The 30-month-old girl, who was recovering from eye surgery, was playing at the wooden toy train table in the children’s play room, and she carefully derailed all the train cars that the San Jose State University players had carefully placed on the tracks.
The soccer team made up of student players from all over California and beyond, was making a kind of learning trip to the medical center.
“We stress to the young athletes how important it is to give back to the community, “said Assistant Coach Adrianne Fass. “We want to cheer up the young patients.”
The group of young women, all wearing their bright blue San Jose State University soccer jerseys, definitely brought a dose of color to the hospital halls as they went from room-to-room in the modern pediatrics unit.
Depending on the condition of the young patients inside, the women either waved in from the doorway, or padded inside the room in a kind of well-manned scrum. They even got some of the patients to perform with them the University’s three-finger, thumb-to-index hand-signal motto, “Spartan Up”. Spartans is the mascot of the downtown San Jose, California university.
The Kaiser Permanente health plan of Northern California has partnered with the university in several healthy eating and active living programs over the years, including a fruit-and-veggie cart in mid-campus and nutritious food choices at the stadium during home games.
The women’s soccer team is starting its new season now, and the first practice was right after the hospital visit. After giving out lots of San Jose State University tee-shirts to the patients at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara’s hospital, and making them and the team members smile, it could turn out to be another winning season for the team.