Kids Stuff
By William Feldman
Welcome to Kids Stuff. Today’s column includes an interview with soccer player Adam Bruckner, a school KiXX trip tip and a cryptogram.
ADAM BRUCKNER
Adam Bruckner, #19, is 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 175 pounds and is a defender for the Philadelphia KiXX. He joined the team in 2001. He began playing soccer in kindergarten at age 5. He remembered a soccer coach as having the biggest impact on him growing up. He may not have been the best influence on him, because he yelled a lot and was very mean; however, you never wanted to be yelled at, so you practiced very hard.
As a child, Adam practiced four or five times a week. As a professional, he practices almost every day. Besides playing soccer professionally, he also coaches.
He attended college at Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he majored in humanities and history.
Adam loves Philadelphia. He feels it has a good downtown that is safe enough but is not so big that it is overwhelming. He likes his teammates, which makes it fun to be around. His parents live in other states, but he finds being apart is not that hard, because he has been away for a long time.
He enjoys traveling to other cities and considers it a real blessing that someone else pays him to fly to other cities to play soccer. He thanks God for the opportunity. Philadelphia is his favorite city, however Milwaukee is his favorite ‘away’ city, because they get the best crowds. It’s also the hardest city to play in.
Outside of soccer, Adam, 28, enjoys writing and attending Bible studies. At what age would he like to retire?
“It probably will not be up to me. At some point they will lock the door and not let me back in to practice,” he joked. “But I would like to play a couple more years.”
I read that besides being a professional athlete, Adam has a big heart, so I decided to ask him. About four or five years ago he started having a heart for the guys that were sleeping outside and wanted to help them in any way he could. He is personally involved with these people and thinks of them as his friends.
“They have become my family in Philadelphia,” he said.
Coach Don D’Ambra brings food on Mondays and helps serve, defender Drew Kopp brings clothes, and all the other team members are nice and helpful to the homeless people. I asked Adam if he ever thought of starting a charity or foundation. He said he has one called Project Restart.
“It is where I try to help anyone restart their life,” he said.
If anyone would like to help any of these homeless people, please e-mail Adam at phillyhomeless@hotmail.com
In my opinion, Adam is like Batman.
His one piece of advice for children: “You have to work harder than every guy on your team. You need to be the first to practice and the last to leave.”
KIXX ANNUAL SCHOOL DAY
The Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), Philadelphia KiXX, will have their ninth annual School Day Game on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 10:35 a.m., at the Wachovia Spectrum. This game will combine soccer with an educational message.
As committed members of the tri-state community, the KiXX will partner with the Philadelphia Inquirer’s News-in-Education Department to re-introduce an educational program designed to promote higher learning. The program will incorporate an education-based curriculum into the game day activities. Each student will receive a 10-page workbook that will use the appeal of indoor soccer and the KiXX to help students build strength in reading, writing, math, science and geography.
To make this opportunity available for all schools in the tri-state area, the KiXX organization offers a special package that includes a ticket to the KiXX game, presentations by local institutions, a skills workbook, KiXX goodie bag and more. Hope to see you there. For more information on the KiXX annual School Day Game, call 215-952-5431.
CRYPTOGRAM
POJS I BSKMODL BIDX RT WTCSTDS
Hints: P is G; B is H; J is V; D is N; M is P
Answer to last week’s cryptogram:
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
William Feldman is a sixth-grade student at the Joseph J. Greenberg Elementary School in Bustleton. Send all e-mails to wmkidscolumn@aol.com