Milwaukee:  Reaching out to inner city children.  It's a program giving these kids the confidence and support they need to succeed.

"America Scores/Milwaukee" gets these young students excited about soccer, volunteering, even poetry.

Carlos Esparza has been playing soccer since he was little. "It doesn't matter if you win or lose, just having fun."

While carlos is practicing his soccer skills, Nashalee Rodriguez is immersed in poetry. Both are students at Windlake Elementary on the south side and part of "America Scores/Milwaukee."

Soccer gives the kids a physical activity, which many don't get outside the program. It also teaches them teamwork.  Carlos has learned "you can't score a goal without passing it to your teammates.  You have to pass or else the other team will take it away and score."

Scott Schnetzky is a coach with the program. "It's just incredible to be able to watch this and see them develop." 

The students don't know much about soccer when they start, but it doesn't take much for them to grow in the game.  "I've got kids that have never had a jersey, never been part of an organized anything," Scott says.  "they're playing on an asphalt field basically. It means everything.  They have nothing"

They also grow off the field. Volunteering is also a big part of the program.

The girls also get their turn at soccer but on this day they're in the classroom.
Nashalee started "America Scores/Milwaukee" in fourth grade. She couldn't tell you much about poetry, then.

She tells us "Ms. Stephens calls it the poet's toolbox and that has all sorts of things you can put in a poem, like personification."  Through this creative writing students form a sense of community, as teammates.

"They not only learn elements of poetry and read poetry but they write poetry and perform their poetry," teacher Ms. Stephens told us. 

And poetry's not just for the girls. "i really like it," Carlos says.  "It's just fun coming up with funny ideas, silly ideas."  Ideas that enrich these students, for life.

"America Scores/Milwaukee" is for 3rd through 5th graders.  Right now about 200 milwaukee students are in the program.  Cost is $10 for families that can afford it.  They are hoping to include more kids but that plan is all based on donations.