FC Naples helps turn classroom wins into game-day memories

NAPLES, Fla. (WINK) - Collier County students are turning classroom success into seats at FC Naples games.

FC Naples, in partnership with Physicians Regional, is donating tickets to select schools each month to reward students for academic and behavioral achievement.

For Alessandro Martin, FC Naples community initiatives director, the program started close to home.

Martin was born and raised in Naples and attended Collier County Public Schools before returning to his hometown to work with FC Naples. He said the idea came to him after hearing a speech about the decline in literacy rates in Collier County.

“I developed an initiative where FC Naples donates 20 tickets to select schools to one game every month,” Martin said.

At Mike Davis Elementary School, the path to the pitch starts with reading.

Principal Melissa Stamper said the school is using the tickets to reward students through its Accelerated Reader program, where students check out books, read them, and take tests to earn points.

“We have been recognizing the students who have read the most words. Every month,” Stamper said.

One of those students is a fifth grader named Aiden, who read 777,000 words in one month.

The reward earned him tickets to his first FC Naples game.

“That was the first game that I've ever been to, and I was pretty impressed,” Aiden said.

Stamper said the tickets give students another goal to chase, while also showing them their work is being noticed.

“It definitely helps motivate students because we have lots of kids that want to go to a soccer game,” Stamper said. “And it also helps reward our kids that are already big readers, and we just want them to know that we see them and all the hard work they're doing.”

Stamper said the partnership has been especially meaningful because Mike Davis Elementary is located near the FC Naples facility, and many students already love soccer.

“We have lots of kids that come from different countries where soccer is the biggest sport,” Stamper said. “If you go out to recess on any given day, there's a ton of kids playing.”

For Martin, the initiative is a way for the club’s impact to extend beyond the final whistle.

“Just to have an opportunity now to be back in Collier County and to, you know, lend a hand in, in a really unique way, has been super rewarding,” Martin said.