S.L. students to get Real freebies

All Salt Lake School District students will receive free Real Salt Lake soccer tickets and a chance to meet a player from the team. The only catch: They have to show up on the first day of school.

More than 23,000 students in the 36 elementary, middle and high schools in the district can pick up a ticket as long as they are in class that first day.

Superintendent McKell Withers said attendance on the first day of school is not always a priority for families. Some enroll late and spend the first couple days registering, while a few families don't send their kids to school until after Labor Day.

"They just think 'It's my summer, don't bug me,' but delaying enrollment for a week or two puts the students at a disadvantage," said Withers. "They miss hearing those ground rules, meeting the teacher, getting acclimated and learning what's expected and how to be successful. If you're not there, you don't hear that whole story and you are going to be playing catch-up."

RSL general manager Steve Pastorino said team members will be at every school on the first day of school whether it be year-round school — starting next week — or regular schools starting late next month. They will be meeting the kids and perhaps even helping with orientation.

Leaders say the incentive is perfect for a district as diverse as Salt Lake's.

"The whole world is in our schools — we have 82 languages spoken by our student body, we are a minority-majority district — and the sport of the world is soccer," Withers said. The "Back to School" ticket/attendance program is the first step of many in a new partnership between RSL and the Salt Lake District.

Later on in the year, RSL players will hold a "Dribble, Pass and Score" skills competition — to be installed in the physical education curricula of each school. Plus, RSL team members will make regular visits to different schools and discuss a variety of topics on a teamwork tour. They will also participate in a new literacy incentive program.

"We have athletes at RSL who are committed to being held up as role models and want to respond by being involved in the community," Pastorino said. "This is a diverse district and nothing speaks as clearly and resonates as far across the globe as soccer, so we are happy to bring the world's game to every school in Salt Lake City."

RSL and sponsors will also make tickets available to district employees. Plus tickets are available at a discounted group rate to the families of each student. The district will be sending out postcards and door-hangers with more information to families in the district within the next couple weeks.

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E-mail: terickson@desnews.com