The People’s Game blends skill-building and mindfulness to help elementary students grow on the field and in the classroom
By Abigail Celoria | Photography by John Michael Simpson
The final bell brings something more exciting than homework for 72 students at three Durham Public Schools – it means the start of cleats on grass, soccer balls in motion and lessons that go far beyond the field.
The People’s Game has introduced young players to values-based soccer coaching that emphasizes cooperation, character and joy for the past three-and-a-half years. The idea was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where founder Kingsley McLeod for local youth during the pandemic.
“I came up with the name … because [soccer is] a game for the people,” Kingsley says. “The only thing you need for soccer is a ball, and then from there, you can make everything else up and play.”
Kingsley grew up on soccer in Jamaica, his home for almost a decade before his father joined the U.S. Air Force. As the service took his family from country to country, the game became a constant for him. That passion carried into adulthood – he played Division I soccer at Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania and semi-professionally in Canada and Australia. He also built his coaching chops, working for youth organizations across the globe like Mini Athletics and Soccer Shots.
All of that experience now fuels his mission for The People’s Game: to focus not just on the skills, but also on the heart of the player.
“We coach the sport, but more than the sport, we coach our values,” Kingsley says. “Respect, responsibility and trust. After we do our activities, we stop and we ask: ‘How are we being respectful? How are we being responsible? How are we being trustworthy?’ Then we [connect] that to a broader sense of, ‘How does that look when you’re in the classroom?’”
The organization’s first after-school session launched at Lyons Farm Elementary School, where Kingsley started teaching physical education in 2022. Eight children attended that first program – including Declan Rietz, now a third grader. Since then, Declan has learned how to value the parts of soccer that go beyond scoring. He says he’s developed not only a love for the sport, but also obtained the skills – like drilling and playing competitively in different positions – he’s not found anywhere else. Just as important are the mindfulness lessons, which Declan says help him stay focused on fun.
“I get a little sad sometimes when I lose, so I do deep breaths after a game,” he says. His father, Logan Rietz, says Declan has never been short on confidence, but The People’s Game has helped him grow not just as an athlete, but more importantly, as an individual.
“They did a tournament at the end of last school year, and it was fun to watch him in that environment,” Logan says. “[He was] communicating with teammates and being a leader on the field.”
Kingsley believes that emphasis on teamwork and joy – not just victory – sets The People’s Game apart. “[There’s] a lot of importance [placed] on winning at the younger ages and the foundational early educational stage,” he says. “That’s not what we should be focusing on at that age. It should be [about] enjoyment of the game, learning your values and working in teams.”
The People’s Game now runs after-school sessions at three elementary schools – Lyons Farm, Pearsontown and Southwest. The group also offers several “minis” classes in partnership with local day cares, along with holiday camps throughout the year during summer, fall, winter and spring breaks, teacher workdays and track outs. Unlike aftercare and minis, which only serve partner schools and day cares, the holiday camps welcome any child in kindergarten through fifth grade. Kingsley says it’s the organization’s largest program, drawing kids from across Durham to share the game each season.
Kingsley hopes to keep this momentum going, growing The People’s Game to reach every corner of the Bull City. His 10-year vision includes affiliations with at least 10 schools and potentially hosting the group’s own recreational league. With the seven-person coaching team’s expansion to include its first full-time hire, The People’s Game is poised to bring the world’s most universal sport – both its joy and the values it teaches – to even more kids across Durham.
Stay plugged into the Bull City. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for upcoming festivals, local news and the stories shaping Durham and the Triangle – delivered straight to your inbox.
