​For two Seattle-area students, the FIFA Club World Cup was more than a game; it became a lasting memory they will carry for life. The young athletes, part of Seattle Scores, had the privilege of walking onto the pitch alongside World Cup players, bringing a local youth program’s mission of soccer, poetry, and confidence-building to the global arena.
For 11-year-old Isaiah Alexander, the experience was a dream realized. “I was so happy, so lucky. Out of millions of kids, I got chosen,” Alexander said. “So it’s a very special moment for me.” After waiting in the tunnel, Isaiah stepped onto the field hand-in-hand with a World Cup player, an moment he says he will never forget. “He just said, ‘Are you ready?’ and I said, ‘Yeah,’” Alexander recalled. “And I asked him, ‘Are you ready?’”
The moment carried equal meaning for Isaiah’s father, Jefferson Franca, who grew up playing soccer and later competed at a semi-professional level. Today, he volunteers with Seattle Scores, helping coach students at Hazel Valley Elementary School in Burien. “It’s an experience you really have to see on their faces—the joy they get from playing soccer,” Jefferson said. “To give them that feeling is amazing.”
Seattle Scores launched during the 1994 World Cup and has spent the last three decades using soccer and poetry to support students across the region. The free after-school program helps young people develop athletic abilities while building confidence, creativity, and leadership. “Unfortunately, in the United States, access to soccer for low-income families is often limited,” Jefferson noted. “Seattle Scores helps bridge that gap.”
The organization emphasizes that its impact extends beyond the field, with students improving their writing skills and gaining self-assurance through the program. That confidence shone in Isaiah and in 9-year-old Aaron Pitts, another Seattle Scores Poet-Athlete who also had the chance to represent the program during FIFA Club World Cup events, including the Team USA vs. Belgium match. “I’m just really lucky to do this,” Aaron said. “I feel like this is a one-in-a-million chance that might only happen once in my life.”
For these young athletes, the FIFA experience transcended soccer. It celebrated teamwork, opportunity, and a Seattle Scores legacy that spans more than 30 years. In total, 56 local students escorted players during the tournament, underscoring the program’s enduring commitment to empowering young people through sport, poetry, and confidence—lifting a community’s hopes one game at a time.