Rohan Kapil has spent six years on the sidelines of the Great Falls Reston Soccer Club's TOPSoccer program, first as a volunteer buddy paired one-on-one with a young athlete, then as head coach running the entire operation. Now the rising senior at Westfield High School in Chantilly is preparing to hand it off.

TOPSoccer, short for The Outreach Program for Soccer, is a free adaptive soccer program for children ages 6 to 18 with physical, developmental or intellectual disabilities. The Great Falls-based club runs it through US Youth Soccer, and it costs families nothing. Each participant gets weekly Saturday afternoon sessions on artificial turf and an official GFR jersey.

Kapil joined as a peer buddy at age 12. After three years of working individually with players, he stepped into the head coach role, which he has held for three years. Each week he designs adaptive drills, leads one-on-one skill sessions and trains the program's volunteer buddies, the McLean Connection reported.

The work reshaped how he leads. Adapting on the fly to each athlete's needs became a principle Kapil says he now applies beyond the field.

His efforts earned a nomination from the club for the 2025 Buddy of the Year award. He called the recognition "a huge honor," even without a win.

Parent Erin Bonk, whose son has played in the program for several years, praised the environment Kapil built. "Rohan has created a welcoming community where every athlete has the opportunity to play," Bonk said. "My son has participated for several years, and Rohan has always made him feel supported and valued."

As Kapil prepares to leave for college in fall 2027, he is focused on training the next generation of volunteer leaders so the program continues without interruption.

The club is already looking ahead to its fall 2026 season. Eight Saturday sessions are scheduled: Sept. 12, 19 and 26; Oct. 3, 17, 24 and 31; and Nov. 7. Registration for athletes is open on the GFR Soccer Club website. High school students interested in leadership roles or community service hours can apply to be peer buddies or youth coaches through the same site.

Register at gfrsoccerclub.org/topsoccer.