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A student-run soccer league at John R. Lewis High School in Springfield has grown from 15 players into a year-round program involving about 150 students — roughly 10% of the school’s population. Participation comes with one firm condition: students must keep up with assignments, grades and attendance.

Seniors and varsity players Andres Roca, Luis Guzman and Andres Mendoza created the alternative program two years ago after recognizing that many students interested in soccer would never make the highly competitive varsity team.

What began as an informal group is now La Liguita, or “the small league,” with eight teams competing during advisory. The teams, named for famous European clubs, play every other day.

Roca, the league’s president, said organizers introduced more structure after rapid growth threatened to make the program chaotic. Because advisory gives students time to catch up academically, participants receive permission to leave only when their assignments are current.

Some students initially resisted the eligibility rules, Roca said, but they have since become an accepted part of the league. Teachers issue advisory passes based on those requirements.

La Liguita offers far more than places on the field. Students serve as referees, team managers, photographers and videographers, while others handle marketing and social media. They also maintain a dedicated website featuring schedules, standings and statistical analysis.

Mendoza, the league’s chief technology officer, designed a QR-code system used to record and monitor attendance.

The range of positions has helped students with different interests find a place in the program. Spanish teacher Elena Tomas Rodriguez, who supervises La Liguita with Assistant Principal Matthew Johnson, said it often provides new students with their first friendships at Lewis.

Johnson described the league as a large family that brings together students whose paths might not otherwise cross.

The program’s reach has extended beyond the high school. La Liguita leaders have visited Crestwood and Lynbrook elementary schools to coach younger students.

During a visit to Crestwood last year, Lewis students served as coaches and referees for an end-of-year sixth-grade soccer game. Principal Francoise Casablanca said the event connected elementary students with opportunities awaiting them in high school and expressed hope that La Liguita would return.

The league also reflects the school system’s goal of creating communities where students feel safe, supported, included and empowered, with student well-being and student voices placed at the center.