Victoria Martinez, 17, of Hemet, plays indoor soccer with Sandy Flores, 12, of Hemet, and Luis Camacho, 12, of Valle Vista, at the Police Activities League in Hemet recently.
At 17, Victoria Martinez is getting a start at counseling, which she is considering as a career and leadership as a Police Activities League volunteer while she has fun in sports after school.
On a recent Friday, children of all sizes clamored for a jersey from her and a chance to play indoor soccer at the Hemet Police Activities League drop-in after school recreation program.
She calmly divvied up the jerseys, insisting that teams had to be balanced. Then inside the dimly lit former beer distributor warehouse with a concrete floor, the fun began as Victoria, a West Valley High girls' soccer team member, kicking the first ball.
Victoria is a product of both the San Jacinto and Hemet activity leagues, called PAL for short. The free program offers elementary and middle school children a drop-in recreation program that includes sports, arts and crafts, homework tutoring, field trips, "cops and kids" events and a chance for community service. Teens help as volunteers.
Victoria said she got involved when she was 12 or 13 and living in San Jacinto.
"I used to go to the after school program at Monte Vista (Middle School), but my friend told me PAL was a real cool program," she said.
Like other children interviewed in San Jacinto, she said if it weren't for PAL, she likely would "just be at home, doing nothing." She said she might have gotten into trouble and gone "the wrong direction."
Now living in Hemet, she is on PAL's Youth Directors Council helping plan activities for the two sites. Recently, she was chosen as one of 13 members of the California PAL statewide council.
"I love being around these kids, they listen to me," she said.
Statewide there are about 8,000 children involved in PAL chapters, according to Gregg Wilson, California PAL executive director. The youth council is responsible for planning a three-day leadership training event for their peers in Sacramento and a four-day life after high school program at Cal State Fresno.
"Part of the leadership program is about giving back to the community," he said. The teens advise adult leaders about activities
"I'm proud of her. It has really set her on the right track," said Victoria's mother, Mary Martinez. "A couple of my co-workers bring their kids here because of her," she said. "They know that the kids are safe."
In the San Jacinto Valley, cities and law enforcement support PAL, with staff provided by Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District at the Hemet site on Buena Vista Street and the San Jacinto site at Sallee Park.
"They're here because they want to be here" and have fun, said Valerie Florez, executive director for the two sites. The program draws mostly from nearby schools. "I think the biggest problem we have is transportation."
Parents or guardians must register their children for the free program, which attracts almost 200 children between the two sites.
San Jacinto Police Chief William Tyler, chairman of the San Jacinto PAL board, said, "Both programs are going strong," in part due to the partnership with Valley-Wide and the counselors. "They just have a heart for the kids," he said by phone.
Police officers stop by daily to help develop positive relationships with youth and chaperone field trips, he said.
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