Varsity Insider

Many Winooski High School boys soccer players are refugees. Some are so poor they can’t afford to buy own their own soccer cleats.  Enosburg remedied the situation this week.

A few days before Friday’s Division III quarterfinal between Enosburg and Winooski, Enosburg athletic director Chris Brigham dropped off 20 pairs of cleats to Winooski coach Cory Payson.  Talk about sportsmanship.

Here’s how the kind act came to fruition. During casual chitchat after the teams’ regular-season meeting earlier this month, Payson told Brigham about the hardship some of his players faced. That inspired Brigham to orchestrate a “shoe drive” to help Winooski, a Mountain Division rival.

“I’ve heard that other times and it’s kind of fizzled,” Payson said, “but I got an email yesterday saying ‘I’ve got 20 pairs of cleats; I’m dropping them off.’”

Very classy.

Payson said some of his players were wearing the cleats during Friday’s penalty kick shootout win over Enosburg, which booked Winooski’s first trip to the semifinals in the history of the program. He said he’ll make sure some of the donations reach the town’s recreational youth soccer program to help other kids in need.