Just when he thinks the coast is clear, his opponents sneak up from behind and make yet another attempt to get the ball. With 15 seconds remaining and nowhere to go, he passes the ball with all his might to lucky number 7, standing unguarded and in perfect position.

Priyanka Nookala retrieves the ball and dribbles it as far as her legs can take her. She kicks once, twice and three times.

"G-o-a-l!" yelled Donelle Woleslagle, the substitute coach for the StingRays, while patting the star on the back. "That was an awesome shot! Good job!"

Amidst the applause and cheers, a parent from beyond the sidelines adds words of encouragement.

"Good teamwork, guys, excellent work," shouted the mother.

For a brief moment, Priyanka stood on the field where she made the goal and modestly reflected on what had happened while other players disbanded for a 15-minute water break. She looked at her proud mom, Nirmala Nookala, and couldn't help but break into an innocent and shy grin, the kind that reveals a sense of sweet satisfaction and embarrassment at the same time.

Priyanka, a third grader at Argonaut Elementary School, and her mother have reason to be proud. She was born 28 weeks premature with cerebral palsy, a medical condition that affects the nervous system, and weighed a light 2 pounds, 7 ounces. Today, at close to 4 feet tall and 54 pounds, Priyanka is an active, happy-go-lucky kid and is involved with several extracurricular activities. She gets around using crutches, and if it weren't for those, she wouldn't have been able to make the goal.

She's also one of six children with cerebral palsy participating in the newly formed American Youth Soccer Association VIP Soccer Program in Saratoga, and one of the 62 players in the organization who have special needs.

The VIP program stems from the regular AYSO soccer program, which was created in 1964 by a group of soccer enthusiasts in Los Angeles. It was built on the philosophy that everyone plays, but ironically excluded those with mental and physical disabilities.

In the mid-1970s, an AYSO coach did something that revolutionized the organization—he introduced the first player with Down syndrome. In the following years, soccer was included in the Special Olympics. To date, the VIP program is incorporated in 75 regions—Saratoga being the most recent—and boasts more than 1,000 players, ranging from 5 years of age to 18. It is open to children and young adults with all types of disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, impaired vision and mobility limitations.

The VIP program was exactly what Saratoga resident Kelly Carroll was looking for. Her son, 5-year-old Nathan, has a genetic brain disorder called tuberous sclerosis complex, which affects behavior and speech and can cause seizures when unmedicated.

"This program is different than many others we've tried," says Carroll. "Although the other programs were geared towards kids with disabilities, it didn't give Nathan the extra attention he needed. On the other hand, the VIP program allows one-on-one interaction."

The personal interaction comes from the buddy system. Each player is teamed with a companion to help prevent any injuries and to make the players feel more confident in their abilities. With shyer individuals, usually those with autism, buddies encourage players to kick the ball. In other cases, they prevent them from wandering off the field.

"Our main priority is to give children with special needs a safe, fair and fun environment to play in," says Mark Linsky, the area director for the northern region. "The buddy system enriches the program."

It has also made a difference in many lives. According to Carroll, when Nathan first started the program, he was hesitant in socializing with his teammates and resisted kicking the ball, but after a few games and practices she started noticing a change.

"He's a bit more involved in the game each week," she says. "He's a lot more social on the field and more eager to kick the ball. His focus and attention span have also improved."

Dealing with special-needs children can be an overwhelming task to an untrained individual, but coach Glen Chew says it's worth his time and effort.

"There's a lot of satisfaction in just watching them play," says Chew. "The most important thing is that they're trying and having fun. If they make a goal, great! If they don't, no big deal. They can take a shot at it during another game."

Just as the kids are learning about the rules of soccer, Chew says that he's learning a lot from the kids as well; he's learning how to connect with each individual child on a one-on-one basis. For example, he says there is one player on his team who he can connect to only when talking about time and another who he can relate to only through touching and through eye-to-eye contact.

"Every child is unique," says Donelle Woleslagle, a certified adaptive physical educator who trained Chew and other coaches on how to deal with special-needs children. "There are certain behaviors to look out for. Coaches need to know when to back off and allow the children to have their own space."

Woleslagle explained that autistic children, who may be extremely sensitive to light, smell or sound, may exhibit shaky hands, jump up and down or bite and pinch themselves as a sign of overstimulation. In such cases, she advised coaches to take the child aside and engage in deep-breathing exercises or go for a walk to calm the child down.

Children with Down syndrome are different in the sense that they tend to wander off and want to do things their own way, says Woleslagle. These children need a lot of demonstration and repetition for a task as simple as kicking a ball to a teammate or the goal. Some may need a buddy or a coach to physically move them in the right direction.

For children with mobility problems like Priyanka, who also wears shin and ankle braces for support, the idea is to modify equipment to minimize the amount of effort needed to play. For instance, instead of playing with the regular soccer balls, Priyanka uses a softer yellow one that beeps. It beeps not for her, but for another player on her team who is blind.

"The idea is to be flexible with the kids and to make them feel comfortable," Woleslagle says. "Every child responds differently in each situation. We learn how to deal with each and every one of them through trial and error."

So far, the VIP program has been a great experience for many parents and their children.

"It's a great asset for the community," says Hilary Rodoni, whose energetic 17-year-old son, Brandon, is a VIP member. "It allows these kids to show what they are capable of. They're just like everybody else."

Brandon, nicknamed "B," has Down syndrome and is one of four boys in the family who is active with soccer.

"He looks forward to practice every week," says Rodoni. "He would go every day if he could."

Rodoni says that the program is beneficial not only because it helps build teamwork and social skills, it also encourages her son and other kids to exercise and stay in shape.

"The program also does a lot to boost self-esteem," Nirmala Nookala says. "It gives them an opportunity to be their best and to discover their potential."

Like many of the parents, Nookala says she's noticed huge improvements in her daughter's ability to kick.

"Priyanka's kicking a lot further and with a lot more confidence," she says. "She's also more skilled at dribbling the ball."

More importantly, Nookala says she hopes her daughter is learning a valuable life lesson.

"This is about learning how to be independent and to take life as it goes," she says. "If she falls on the field, she can pick herself up, brush it off and continue with what she's doing. She's a fighter. So are the other kids in the program."

For more information about the AYSO VIP Soccer Program, contact Mark Linsky at 408.741.1949 or visit http://www.soccer.org.