DC SCORES covers DC: KIPP AIM, Ward 8

 


As DC SCORES has grown over the past several years -- from 20 schools, to adding middle schools in 2006, to 27 schools, then 42, and now to 60 sites, including several recreation centers that make up the first-ever DC City Soccer League -- we've expanded our reach across Washington, DC. And now we serve 2,200 kids in neighborhoods throughout the entire city -- meaning all eight wards. This fall, we'll bring to you a highlight program in each ward.

At KIPP AIM Academy, extracurricular activities are a priority. The programming involves an incredibly enthusiastic and dedicated group of fifth- to eighth-graders.

Poetry coach and 5th grade literacy teacher Sara Gould shared a few key facts with us. Through our talk with her, we really got an insider's view of the program at KIPP AIM. Sara has an incredible relationship with the students as a DC SCORES coach because she teaches about half of the poet-athletes in her class throughout the day (common at many DC SCORES schools).

Gould said that "being someone that is in the classroom but then also teaching at SCORES is helpful to working with the students." She said that this adds a "mentor layer" and a "humanizing aspect" to the relationship, and not only does it benefit her students in DC SCORES; it benefits her students' peers as well.

"They see that our relationship is different, and they want that for themselves," Gould said. "KIPP is business in the classroom, but when you're in a less-structured, more down-to-earth environment, the kids see you as a whole person. It's an all-around relationship, not just student-teacher."

Though this is Gould's first year at KIPP AIM, she taught and coached at KIPP WILL for five years, giving her a total of six years involved with DC SCORES. She said that when she transferred schools, DC SCORES brought her comfort.

"It was nice to have something I connected with and was passionate about," Gould said.

This year's Poetry Slam! was a unique experience for KIPP AIM because this was the first Slam! that they had participated in since before any of the current students or teachers could remember. Gould described preparation for the Slam! as "stressful" because they were only able to meet for poetry once a week compared to other schools who met two or three times a week.

The students "really pulled it together in just three sessions," Gould said, adding that the incredible performance that we saw on the stage during the Eastside Slam! was really attributed to the students' hard work, both in the classroom and at home after school.

"A lot of it had to do with the excitement and investment," Gould said. She added that the first day after constructing a poem, there were a few students who had already memorized their lines.

"[It] really spoke volumes to [me] about the fact that they cared about it and really wanted to work toward it."

This season of Fall SCORES at KIPP AIM, Gould's poet-athletes worked incredibly hard to overcome challenges. To overcome obstacles during their first season of doing both soccer and poetry, the students practiced treating tiny victories as if they were major, going with a strong "I'm going to get better" mindset, and taking a lot of pride in the fact that they were the first students to start poetry back up at their school.

These students set the base for DC SCORES in the upcoming years at AIM, and future poet-athletes will have this incredible group to thank!



WARD 8 PROGRAMS
Barry Farm Recreation Center (2015)
Hart Middle School (2012)
KIPP AIM Academy (2013)
Leckie Elementary School (2013)
Leckie Middle School (2016)
Moten Elementary School (2011)
Orr Elementary School (2012)
Turner Elementary School (2016)
Washington School for Girls (2015) 


KIPP AIM Academy FUN FACTS
Year DC SCORES started: 2013
Ward: 8
Uniform color: Orange
Coaches: Soccer -- Sydney Thom, Sara Gould; Poetry -- Tre'Vonn Dennis, Sara Gould

COACHES' CORNER
"It's an all-around relationship, not just student-teacher." - Sara Gould on how coaching DC SCORES has strengthened her ties to the students

“[It] really spoke volumes to me about the fact that they cared about it and really wanted to work toward it.” - Gould on how hard the students worked toward their Poetry Slam! performance

FROM THE ARCHIVES

BLOG

11.27.2013 -- Teamwork, Leadership and Commitment on display during Capital Cup

VIDEO

12.2.2013 -- KIPP AIM performs at the Poetry Slam!

We are the future -- message rings loud and clear at Eastside Poetry Slam!

Written by Jake Lloyd
Communications Manager

We are all more than just kids. We. Are. The. Future.

And with that line, Burrville Elementary School's poet-athletes -- wearing "Burrville Strong" T-shirts -- summed up the underlying message sent during the second night of the 19th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam! at H.D. Woodson High School.

DC SCORES school communities east of Washington, DC's Anacostia River are strong, and never was that more evident than Thursday night when the 20 teams who took the stage collectively told the audience -- and anyone else listening -- what shouldn't have to be said.

WE MATTER. WE WILL SUCCEED.

"Me and my peers will not shed tears, but we will persevere."
-- KIPP KEY Academy

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The night ended just like it had the previous two years -- with Aiton Elementary School's poets, coaches and parents rushing the stage. The Aiton Bears were Golden Mic champions, and no one was arguing.

Donning "Straight Outta Aiton" T-shirts and with their hands shackled by paper-created chains, the Bears delivered yet another powerful, united, inspiring, and thought-provoking performance.

I've been craving dreams to wake up without being assaulted
To live in a place where skin won't define any human
Where people won't gamble with our lives
To not see crying mothers burying their child



Aiton's 8-, 9- and 10-year-old kids interwove black history, today's struggles, and their perseverance beautifully in a performance that spoken word professionals would be proud of.

The Bears punctuated it by raising their chained fists in the air, the paper chains harmlessly falling to the ground, and saying, as one:

Choose to live a life that matters
Choose this day to make your life matter
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Our lives matter 

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That theme -- our lives matter -- was present throughout the night in front of the capacity audience. During a time of such uncertainty in our country and our communities, the Slam! was a refreshing reminder that these poet-athletes are wise and strong beyond their years. They may only be single digits in age, but their voices are powerful beyond any sort of measure.

There was Delaney B., 11, of Kelly Miller Middle School, taking the mic, stepping to the front of the stage, and being brutally honest about the disadvantages she faces.

Yes, I understand I may have some ups and downs but ALL people do.
Yes, I am Black but the fact that I’m a girl sometimes makes it even harder.

But Delaney reminded the audience that she's not complaining. She will show the world her fortitude.

I have a dream which is to overcome what you may think of me.


...

There was Arnye Y., 10, of Thomas Elementary School, with maybe the most captivating solo poem of the evening:

They say man down, but what about woman down?
They say man up, but what about woman up?

If Arnye isn't in public office within two decades, we'll be surprised.


...

And there was KIPP AIM, decked out in their red school uniforms with one kid holding a sign reading "For our past, our broken brothers," delivering a performance multiple generations of African-American could relate to. If DC's new Smithsonian Museum is looking for children's poetry from the District, it's right here:

For our past, our broken brothers
We are a family
Connected through blood, history, and shared struggle
Why do we fight one another?
We can choose to leave the hardships and troubles in our past
All we need is a breath that lasts
We’ve felt more pain than others
But we’ve been able to withstand it by standing together
We’ve been beaten and broken
Through slavery, segregation, mass incarceration
The wounds may heal and the scars may fade
But the pain of a thousand atrocities pulses through my veins
Beat us down, lock us up
I choose to beat the odds and lock those struggles in the past
I refuse to let this nightmare last

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It's too bad President Barack Obama wasn't in attendance, because he was included, too. Because while these DC SCORES teams from the District's most underserved areas decried the circumstances that make their lives difficult, they also made one thing clear:

They're proud. 

Of their school communities. Of their neighborhoods. Of their families (if KIPP QUEST Academy's "I love my Mom because..." poem didn't make you cry, you're one of the few). Of their city. And of their country.

Imagine Hope Tolson's students put on their best Hawaiian fashion, Wearing leis around their necks, the well-educated Soaring Eagles delivered an ode to the president:

Ma-Ha-Lo President Obama
For inspiring youth to reach for their goals.
MA-- HA-- LO
Ma-Ha-Lo President Obama 
For helping to open the new National Museum of African American History and Culture.
MA--HA--LO
Ma-Ha-Lo President Obama
For creating the largest protected marine wildlife preserve in the world.
MA--HA--LO
Ma-Ha-Lo President Obama,
For investing in education, technology, and renewable energy.
MA--HA--LO
Ma-Ha-Lo President Obama

Mashir C., 10, followed this ode with one to his hometown of Washington, DC, listing all the reasons he loves his city.



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I have the urge to be me
Myself because I am me
I will not change just for someone just like me

Amidon-Bowen Elementary School delivered these words to start the night, and they rang true for the following two hours. From when emcee Charity Blackwell asked the kids to yell, "I LOVE DC SCORES" and eardrums popped until D.C. United players Travis Worra and Jalen Robinson and Shayne Wells from the Deputy Mayor for Education's office handed out trophies, kids didn't act.

They were themselves. Authentic. Genuine.

Some were serious, such as Jefferson Middle School's Janiah P., 13, who won the Shine Award and helped the Trojans take home the Golden Mic. Others were funny, such as Payne Elementary School with lines like, "When I grow up, I want to rap like Fetty Wap."

All impressed. All cheered for each other.

Our community is strong. Our neighborhoods our strong. Our city is strong. And especially our kids are strong.

That's what came across in the WUSA-9 (CBS) segment during the 11PM news, and that was real.

"We are all more than just kids. We. Are. The. Future."

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Elementary Schools

1st place -- Aiton Elementary School
2nd place -- Amidon-Bowen Elementary School
3rd place -- Burrville Elementary School
Spirit Award -- Imagine Hope Tolson
Shine Award -- Arnye Y., Thomas Elementary School

Middle Schools
1st place -- Jefferson Middle School
2nd place -- Kelly Miller Middle School
3rd place -- KIPP KEY Academy
Spirit Awards -- KIPP AIM Academy
Shine Award -- Janiah P., Jefferson

Teamwork, leadership, commitment (and much more) on display at Eastside Poetry Slam!

(See our first-look Eastside Poetry Slam! photo album HERE; Storify HERE.)

"We good in school/ that's the No. 1 rule/ TLC be cool."

That line came from Miner Elementary School, the first of 20 schools to perform at the DC SCORES Eastside Poetry Slam! Thursday. It set the tone for a special night.

During an inspiring, captivating, often hilarious, and often courageous three hours at H.D. Woodson High School, DC SCORES teams could not have better demonstrated the Teamwork, Leadership and Commitment -- SCORES' core values -- that's instilled during the fall season.

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Teamwork.

There was Aiton Elementary School on stage, clapping and stomping in perfect unison as one student after another approached the microphone to describe why they're a survivor.

I’m a survivor because I never give up
I’m a survivor because I’m a strong young man
I’m a survivor because I keep a cool head
I’m a survivor because I reach for the Stars
I’m a survivor because I have faith
I’m a survivor because I don’t criticize, I exercise


That was just a small piece of Aiton's Golden Mic-winning performance, which the Bears rightfully celebrated by rushing the stage to hoist the large trophy. The celebration is surely continuing in the school's halls today.

There was Drew Elementary, the school that burst on the scene in its first Poetry Slam! by claiming the Golden Mic a year ago. When a school joins DC SCORES, there's always the question of how quickly the kids will buy into the spoken word and self-expression component of the program. At Drew, that's never been an issue.

Drew began its second-place-winning show with a step-dance routine, before a kid interrupted to say, "That's OLD SCHOOL, we did that last year!" It was just part of a beautifully synchronized and choreographed performance that began with a poem about hot pink, ended with a solo "About Me" poem -- just one type of poem kids learn during the fall -- and included this in the middle:

You Know 
You know I am the best, because I always try on tests
You know I am a winner, because I eat healthy dinners
You know I am a king, because I always help my team
You know I am a star, can't you see me from afar?
You know I am intelligent, aren't my DC-CAS scores relevant?
You know I am the greatest, because I strive to be the greatest



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Leadership.

Much like on the soccer field, DC SCORES poetry teams need leaders -- kids who will take ownership of the team, help others, and when the Slam! arrives, often perform the solo poem.

The near-capacity crowd at H.D. Woodson was loud and boisterous all night. There were hoots, hollers, loads of encouragement, and plenty of laughs.

It could have been seemed an intimidating environment, especially for a kid all alone under the lights. But that was never the case, and this was best exemplified by Leron B.'s Shine Award-winning poem, "Freedom Isn't Free." Imagine Hope Charter School was the second-to-last school to perform during a long night, but Leron kept the crowd captivated.

People are being held back, held down.
Let people express themselves instead of frown
Have their dreams and be who they are...
Shouldn't everyone be a star?
Freedom isn't Free!

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Commitment.


Middle schools that perform in the DC SCORES Poetry Slam! have an added challenge.

Not only are they tasked with performing three poems in front of hundreds of people; they have to produce their spoken word pieces to music. Getting the timing and rhythm down -- and incorporating everyone -- is a big challenge.

KIPP AIM has mastered it.

The middle schoolers in their orange soccer uniforms might have even upped their Golden Mic-winning performance from a year ago with a committed, nonstop entertaining show that had many in the audience singing along.

First they did a remix of J. Cole's "Got me up all night," inserting their own lyrics.

Got me up all night, trying to get these A's tho
GOT ME Up all night, all I'm doing is learning

Then, after William T. invoked Frederick Douglass in a solo poem, KIPP AIM brought down the house with remixes of the current hit song "Lifestyle" and the forever classic "Man in the Mirror."

You're looking at the kids going to college
We’re going to achieve our dreams
And No Mission Could be
Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The hood A Better Place
you gotta pick up your bags and go to school

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From Miner's opening to Kelly Miller Middle School's closing, there was no dropoff during the three-hour Poetry Slam!. Emcee Charity Blackwell had the large crowd's attention from the get-go, DJ RBI had kids dancing in their seats in between (and even during) every performance, and the dance contest while scores were being tallied got so loud, eardrums popped.

Each great performance helped inspire the next. It might have been Thomas Elementary's first Slam!, but like Drew last year, the Tigers matched the competition and had many of the night's best lines, including, "When I'm president, my phone's gonna be blowing up!" Thomas finished in third place in an incredibly competitive field.


And just like every other school, they demonstrated that TLC that shined on stage throughout the evening.

Below is the full list of winners from the second night of the 17th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!.

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Elementary Schools
1st place — Aiton Elementary School
2nd place — Drew Elementary
3rd place — Thomas Elementary
School Spirit Award — J.C. Nalle Elementary
Shine Award — Leroy B., Imagine Hope Community Charter - Tolson Campus

Middle Schools
1st place — KIPP AIM
2nd place — Chavez Parkside
3rd place — Kelly Miller Middle School
Spirit Award — Johnson Middle

Who's ready for fall? Poetry Slam! jam: KIPP AIM

The fall 2014 DC SCORES season begins September 15!

To see images representing all 47 of our program schools, follow us on Instagram @dc_scores for a school-by-school countdown until Opening Day.

On this blog, each week day leading up to the season we'll highlight a school's Poetry Slam! performance from 2013. Just about everyone is familiar with the soccer component of DC SCORES, but the self-expression aspect is just as important. Each fall, all of our 1,500 youth go through a three-month curriculum that culminates in every school performing original works of spoken word at our blockbuster event of the year, the Poetry Slam!.

Watch, be inspired, and mark your calendar for December 3/4, the dates of the 2014 Slam!

SCHOOL: KIPP DC: AIM Academy, Golden Mic winners!

BEGAN DC SCORES: 2013

FUN POETRY SLAM! LINE: "When I get an A; that's when I play!"

Watch KIPP AIM above or here.

View KIPP AIM photos here.

Lessons from soccer field, power of service-learning on display during second night of 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!

Drew prepares for its performance.

When someone is introduced to DC SCORES and learns that the program combines soccer, poetry and service-learning, the usual -- and natural -- reaction is what? How in the world can that work?

The three prongs of our program model seem so far apart, such different disciplines. Why would a kid who plays soccer want to write poetry?

On Thursday night at the Eastside version of the 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!, a near-capacity audience of over 500 people at H.D. Woodson Senior High School witnessed just how intertwined soccer, poetry and service-learning are through 19 original poetry and spoken word performances.

The second night of the fall season's culminating event was emceed by spoken word artist and teacher Clint Smith along with DC SCORES staff member Charity Blackwell, with DJ RBI dropping beats and the background music to performances all night.

Earlier during the season, the soccer team at Drew Elementary School -- just blocks from Woodson -- received a generous donation of soccer cleats from Sarah Bair, a high school student who started the nonprofit Cleats for Peace to give soccer shoes to students lacking them.

On stage in their orange soccer uniforms Thursday, Drew captivated the audience with a poem about their new shoes. In unison, the students sang, "Cleats on my feet! That's all I need! Cleats on my feet! That's all I need!"

That lined capped off a rhythmic clapping, stomping, rhyming and singing performance that at the end of the night won Drew the Golden Mic Trophy in the school's first ever Poetry Slam!.

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Immanuel W. holds up his trophy for the Shine Award.

Drew wasn't the only debut school that showed no fear under the bright lights. KIPP AIM won the middle school championship with a powerful performance about education and self-empowerment, highlighted by Immanuel W.'s four-verse rap that won him the Shine Award for best middle school individual performance and could be on the radio soon (no joke).

KIPP AIM''s time on stage, though, began with an introduction. A girl, Raven H., in her orange soccer uniform took the microphone and told the audience how her soccer team had come from not knowing how to properly do a throw-in at the beginning of the season to making the Capital Cup Championship game.

And even though they lost, she said, the students were proud of what they had accomplished. That translated perfectly into an incredibly confident and inspiring Poetry Slam! debut performance highlighted by Immanuel's rap set to the song "The Show Goes On" by Lupe Fiasco.

Each middle school is tasked with choreographing a performance to go with a song, and Immanuel's lyrics flowed flawlessly as he dropped the chorus: "All right, all ready, we're climbing on/up the mountain/we worked so hard..."

Imagine Hope's students demonstrate community service.

Perhaps no team better demonstrated all they have learned on the soccer field and in the classroom this fall than Imagine Hope Community Charter School, which was also making its first Poetry Slam! appearance. Using the theme of "Harambe," which a student introduced to the audience as meaning "Pull Together" in Swahili, the Soaring Eagles demonstrated with actions and words all the ways they've come together during their first DC SCORES season.

"We pull together to show sportsmanship," two boys said, helping up a fallen teammate. "We're not supposed to litter, we're supposed to recycle," another boy said as he picked up fallen paper. "We pull together to help the poor," another student said as he and a teammate gave money to and helped a boy up from the ground.

Imagine Hope's third-place performance was capped off by Skky M., whose poem "I am the Hungry Child" not only inspired the audience, but won her the Shine Award for best individual performance.

"School, food, water are all things you take for granted," Skky emphasized. "I don't want or need a game, ipod, ipad or a car/Give me a book so I can learn and read and maybe ONE day/I can get an education!"

Imagine Hope hasn't had a DC SCORES service-learning season yet, but is there any doubt this spring that they'll make an indelible impact on their community (or around the world?).

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Second-place finisher Arts and Technology Academy.

On the subject of education, no team delivered a more powerful performance than Arts and Technology Academy. ATA is no stranger to inspiring and heartfelt Poetry Slam! deliveries -- winning four consecutive Golden Mic trophies from 2008-11 -- and Thursday was no different.

With the increasing emphasis on test scores, school reform and other mitigating factors, schools in Washington, DC, are rarely completely immune to the possibility of being shuttered. Just last June, four DC SCORES schools were included on a list of 15 that were closed.

The ATA students, dressed well in their burgundy school uniforms, addressed school closures head on -- highlighted by a boy's solo performance that had the entire audience's attention. Microphone in hand, the boy came off the stage and walked directly in front of the judges, where he expounded on the worth of his fellow students.

"We know our math and reading scores may not be the best," he said. "But we have potential because our worth is more than just data and tests!"

That much was obvious to the 500-plus people who witnessed ATA's perfectly delivered second-place performance.

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The beauty of poetry and self-expression is that when you're treated to several performance under one roof, there is great diversity in the content. While ATA focused on schools and Hart Middle School performed an anti-violence song ("Violence is a waste of time/At Hart that's something you will NEVER find"), other schools had fun with creative and comical performances.

Emcee Clint Smith.

Third-place elementary school finisher Perry Street Preparatory Public Charter School had the audience howling with laughter during its "Soccer is a Dog" poem, which featured the students in their Santa hats imitating the sounds of big dogs, lonely dogs and confused dogs -- the funniest sound.

Garfield Elementary School did a poem all about running, with each student imitating a different animal's or person's gait. Burrville Elementary School did a serious yet also amusing poem about the government shutdown, dropping lines like, "The shutdown was so bad, it made some people go mad!" and followed that poem with "Tale of two David's," as two boys performed a fun back-and-forth about the merits of their David.

It was a poignant, powerful, comedic and entertaining night of self-expression at H.D. Woodson -- a Poetry Slam! Executive Director Amy Nakamoto called the best she's witnessed in seven years. And no event could have better exemplified just how connected the three aspects of DC SCORES' program are.

Now if only Drew's students could have worn their cleats on stage!

Below is a full list of winners from the second night of the 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam.

Elementary Schools
1st place -- Drew Elementary School
2nd place -- Arts and Technology Academy
3rd place -- Imagine Hope Community Charter School, Tolson Campus
Spirit Award -- Perry Street Preparatory Public Charter School
Shine Award -- Skky M., Imagine Hope

Middle Schools
1st place -- KIPP DC: AIM Academy
2nd place -- Kelly Miller Middle School
3rd place -- Jefferson Middle School
Spirit Award -- Cesar Chavez Public Charter School, Parkside
Shine Award -- Immanuel W., KIPP AIM

See photos from the 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam! on our Flickr page.

And students from Drew have a final message for you...

Teamwork, leadership and commitment on display during Capital Cup Championship games

KIPP AIM warms up for their championship game.

As her team took laps around the field at Alice Deal Middle School Monday afternoon, Caity Schneeman yelled out "TLC!"

Teamwork. Leadership. Commitment.

Those are the three values indelible within each DC SCORES program throughout the District, and never were they more apparent than during the three Capital Cup middle school championship games Monday and Tuesday.

Schneeman's KIPP AIM team was overmatched by a very talented Deal team, which took a 5-0 lead early in the second half. With the wind whipping the field and the temperature dipping down to 30 degrees, the KIPP kids could have easily quit during the co-ed championship game.

Instead, they showed tremendous commitment, running full-speed ahead at every loose ball. It was as if they had unlimited energy, and their efforts paid off late in the game when they scored two goals in a one-minute span. Afterward, Schneeman and her fellow coaches couldn't have been more proud of the team as they received their runner-up trophy and medals.

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The Lincoln Middle School girls championship team.

That same afternoon, in those same frigid conditions, the Lincoln Middle School girls soccer team had no plans to end practice on time.

Instead, the Knights stayed late at their field in Columbia Heights, working on the skill that had united them and brought them within one victory of the Capital Cup championship during the fall season:

Passing the ball.

The next afternoon, playing in a rain storm, the Knights' teamwork paid off as they shared the ball and played united during a 2-0 victory over Capital City Public Charter School. When the final whistle blew, everyone ran to each other for an enormous group hug and celebration that wasn't at all dampened by the dreadful weather.

"We used to not like to pass," said eighth-grader Becky R. as she clutched her MVP trophy. "We used to just go for the goal, just go for the kick. But then coach (Charity Blackwell), and Ana and Jarmar told us that in order to make a goal, we have to pass. So we practiced that a lot."

The Knights grew as a team under the leadership of Blackwell and Ana and Jarmar, two DC SCORES Lincoln alumni who dedicated their time during the fall to being assistant coaches for the team. Their commitment helped mold a group of girls who took pride in getting their schoolwork done together, writing poetry alongside each other, and then donning the maroon Lincoln soccer uniforms and taking the field as a team.

The result was obvious on Tuesday.

"They learned what it means to have commitment," said Blackwell, who is also a DC SCORES Soccer Coordinator through the Coach Across America program. "Once they saw that everybody was showing up and that everybody had the same goal to win this, everybody was on the same page, and I think that's what brought them to this moment."

With a big smile on her rain-soaked face, Becky reveled in her championship moment.

"It feels great," she said. "It's my first time being in a championship, it's my first time winning this. I feel happy for me and my team and my coach."

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From left: DC SCORES Executive Director
Amy Nakamoto, Larry D., Edgar A.

During halftime of the boys Capital Cup championship game between Lincoln and Cesar Chavez Prep, Lincoln coach Popsie Lewis pulled aside eighth-graders Larry D. and Edgar A.

After taking an early 2-0 lead, Lincoln had allowed two Chavez goals late in the half to tie the game. Lewis now needed his veterans to step up and lead on the field. After all, they had been in a similar situation two years prior.

As sixth-graders, Larry and Edgar were part of Lincoln's team that overcame adversity to win a thrilling Capital Cup championship over Oyster-Adams Bilingual School.

"Hey man," Lewis reminded Larry during the intermission, "out of everybody else, you and Edgar should feel most comfortable."

It didn't take long for the boys to take Lewis' words to heart. Early in the second half, Larry settled a crossing pass in the middle of the field and pounded a left-footed shot into the upper portion of the net for a 3-2 lead. He added another goal minutes later.

Not long after that, Lewis' two leaders were holding the MVP trophy together.

"This year, it was our time to regain" the championship, Larry said afterward -- his teeth chattering as the rain continued to fall and the temperature dropped.

Lewis admitted he was skeptical at the beginning of the DC SCORES season, and the path to a championship was far from smooth. Over the course of two months, team members were disciplined for missing school assignments by being held out of games and/or practices. The result was a renewed commitment to being complete student-athletes and DC SCORES participants -- not just soccer players.

Larry and Edgar set this example throughout the season.

"This year I gave them a lot of responsibilities when it comes to manning up and just basically leading the team," Lewis said.

As they showed Tuesday, they were up to the challenge.

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DC SCORES builds teams such as KIPP AIM, and Deal, and Lincoln, and Capital City, and Chavez Prep. It also builds communities.

That's why on Monday afternoon in upper northwest, a KIPP AIM parent was on the sideline -- having made the long trip across the city to watch his two children play in the cold.

That's also why on Tuesday afternoon in some of the most miserable conditions you can imagine for standing around, close to 100 former Lincoln and Chavez Prep program participants lined the sideline at Bell High School to watch and cheer on their middle school teams.

During the school day on Tuesday, Larry and Edgar and Becky and the rest of the Lincoln Knights were sitting in class when an announcement was made over the loudspeaker about the afternoon's two championship games.

"It was a huge announcement," Larry said. "Everybody started clapping."

There will undoubtedly be another announcement today at Lincoln. And, most likely, a lot of clapping and celebrating.