Soccer program turns special needs kids into All-Stars

If the best coaches get the most out of their players, then Tony Valdez is among the best coaches of all time.

Tony coaches the TOP Soccer All Stars in the Rialto Youth Soccer League. They are a team made up entirely of physically and mentally challenged athletes from age 4 up.

"You gotta step up and help out!" Valdez told "Good Day L.A." co-host Elex Michaelson. "There's a need for these programs," he said.

Valdez re-started this program in Rialto nearly a decade ago after interacting with one young girl with special needs. The first year, she was the only one on the team.

Now, he has about 40 kids regularly playing. He also hosts carnivals to celebrate the players.

"My biggest concern is we get them all running in the same direction. We're three weeks into the season and I do have them all going in the same direction," he said.

The team plays every Friday night against more "traditional" soccer teams in the area.

Eighth grader Lala Bustamante is on one of those teams. "They're so happy every time they score, their bright smiles on their face, it makes my day!" she said.

Sigrid Behrens' daughter Kelsey plays on Tony's team.

"He's like a miracle worker with them. He gets them out, and they'll follow him. They'll do what he wants them to do. Whereas, sometimes, with the parents they won't listen to us," Behrens said.

Two of Theresa Williams' grandkids play. "These kids are everyday kids. They aren't Martians. They're just kids who want to be accepted and want to be a part of society, appreciated and not bullied or picked on."

Sandy Castillo chairs the Cal South TOP Soccer program around Southern California. "They're in school and the parents hear, your child can't, your child won't. We're out here proving our kids can do anything!"

As for Tony, he gets emotional when asked if he feels like a hero.

"These are my kids," he said. He thinks of them like his own children.

For more information on the program, go to https://www.calsouth.com/en/topsoccer/