Countywide : Exhibition Scores With GOALS’ Youth

The emphasis was more on goodwill than on competition when a co-ed all-star squad from the Disney GOALS youth group took on a formidable opponent: the varsity girls’ field hockey team from Santiago High School in Garden Grove.

The high school team, which has captured the California Interscholastic Federation championship for the past 12 years, came away with a 1-0 victory in the good-natured exhibition game played Thursday at Santiago.

“It went really well,” said Emily Reneau, community relations coordinator for the Disney GOALS, which stands for Growth Opportunities through Athletics, Learning and Service. Reneau said the goodwill challenge came out of a series of guest appearances made by Santiago Coach Kit Snider and three of her varsity players at GOALS after-school classes.

Founded by the Walt Disney Co. in 1994, GOALS is a nonprofit organization for children 6 and older. More than 200 boys and girls are registered with the program in three Anaheim neighborhoods.

The program strives to build self-esteem by combining education, community service and hockey--all kinds of hockey.

So far, the members have competed in in-line hockey, street hockey, broom ball and field hockey. And starting in September, the organization plans to offer ice hockey at an Anaheim rink.

The group is seeking additional volunteers and sponsors. Information: (714) 520-2572 or (800) 49-GOALS.