Saturday Night Lights Presented by CalHOPE Closes Strong with June 14 Celebration at Washington United Youth Center

Sports stats



MLS San Jose Earthquakes

Saturday Night Lights Presented by CalHOPE Closes Strong with June 14 Celebration at Washington United Youth Center

June 13, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Jose Earthquakes News Release


SAN JOSE, Calif. - Saturday Night Lights (SNL) presented by CalHOPE, a free 10-week youth futsal program, will culminate in a closing ceremony on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Washington United Youth Center. The special event celebrates the powerful partnership between the San Jose Earthquakes, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, the City of San José, Evergreen Elementary School District and other dedicated community organizations to make SNL a reality.

"We're incredibly pleased with how the pilot has gone-the program has worked," said Earthquakes VP of Community Relations Robert Davis. "Youth and families are telling us that the program has helped shift perceptions of law enforcement along with having a measurable impact on academic and attendance outcomes while helping youth develop their leadership skills and connect with peers. This kind of response is exactly what we need to help scale SNL thoughtfully and in true partnership with the community."

Launched as a pilot program this spring at Washington United Youth Center and LeyVa Middle School, Saturday Night Lights offered middle and high school students a safe, supportive and empowering space every weekend through free futsal games, mentorship and mental wellness resources. Nearly 220 at-risk youth participated in the program, which has already shown a measurable impact: increased school attendance, stronger social connections and improved emotional well-being.

"The Saturday Night Lights closing ceremony is more than a celebration of soccer-it's a celebration of resilience, community, and what's possible when we invest in our youth," said Don Taylor, CEO of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. "We're deeply proud of the families, partners, and young people who made this pilot program so successful."

In fact, at LeyVa Middle School, students who participated in the SNL program demonstrated notable improvements in both academic performance and overall school engagement. All 8th grade participants successfully promoted to high school, including four students who had previously been at risk of not being promoted prior to joining SNL. Since the program's start, participants have shown a 30% increase in school and class attendance, highlighting a stronger connection to the school environment. Additionally, at both sites, there have been no disciplinary incidents involving Futsal participants, indicating improved behavior and self-regulation.

"The success of this pilot program is clear proof that San José needs more youth programming," said District 8 Councilmember Domingo Candelas. "We brought together more than eight organizations and created a truly transformative experience for our underserved kids and families. This effort shows the power of strong public-private partnerships, and we're hopeful that Saturday Night Lights can expand into more neighborhoods across the city in the near future."

The June 14 event will feature closing remarks from program partners, fun activities, awards and appearances from special guests. It will also serve as an opportunity to highlight how sports-based youth development programs like Saturday Night Lights can play a critical role in violence prevention and positive mental health.

For more information or to get involved with future community programs, please visit www.sjearthquakes.com/community.

Check out the San Jose Earthquakes Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from June 13, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central