Soccer is making a comeback in San Quentin.
On Labor Day, just after the baseball game ended, 16 soccer players hit the field for a practice game. Some of the players had soccer cleats, but most wore state-issued Converse or running shoes.
“I’ve been at Quentin for four years and I can’t remember the last time we had a soccer league,” said Jose Diaz.
San Quentin had an active soccer league until it ended in the mid-00s. Since then, players have only played pick-up.
Recently, the men in blue organized four soccer teams, and now efforts are under way to recruit an outside volunteer coach and begin playing teams from the outside.
As Jose Vieyra, who’s been playing for 25 years, pointed out: “Two things are needed the most for soccer: equipment and a coach.”
Recent transfers to San Quentin from other prisons have included a number of soccer players and fans, pumping new life into the game.
“We had 11 soccer teams at Soledad. When I got here, I was surprised to see there were no soccer teams,” said Jesus Lopez, who started playing soccer at age 10.
Joe Rivera, who came from Solano six months ago, said, “I’ve been playing most of my life. Soccer is my life. In Solano, we had a soccer team and played every week. I think people can gain discipline through soccer and it helps them deal with frustration, not to mention it’s a healthy activity.”
