Children learn valuable life lessons and develop long lasting relationships with their peers through sports. Yet, in many low-income neighborhoods children can’t play outside because it’s unsafe or there simply isn’t enough space for them to play sports.

Team Up for Youth provides after school sports programs and mentors to children from low-income neighborhoods. They hired Pulitzer prize winning photojournalist, Deanne Fitzmaurice, to tell their story through the experience of one of the children in their program.

Deanne photographed and filmed Luzy Govea Delgado, 10, in the Tenderloin in San Francisco. With a mix of child-like candor and mature insights, Luzy describes life in the Tenderloin, and what it means for her to be a part of Team Up for Youth.

She says, "We don’t really play in our neighborhood. My parents are worried that something would happen to us. Now that I’ve learned how to play soccer, I know something that I’m good at. The first thing we were taught, never give up, just keep trying."

In many low-income neighborhoods, children don’t play outside. It’s unsafe for kids to play on the sidewalk, and there are no parks nearby.

Team-Up for Youth brings after school sports programs and trained coaches to low-income neighborhoods.

The goal of the video is to show Team Up’s work through the experience of the children in the program and the adults who run it.

Photojournalist Deanne Fitzmaurice photographed and filmed Luzy Govea Delgado, 10, in her neighborhood, the Tenderloin in San Francisco.

With a mix of child-like candor and mature insights, Luzy describes life in the Tenderloin, and what it means for her to be a part of Team Up for Youth.

The challenge was to interweave and balance the adult voices in the video with Luzy's experience.

We started with a 7-minute cut that included several adults, and scenes with Luzy at home and on the field.

The client asked us to shorten the video and focus the content further. We edited out two of the adults and additional scenes of Luzy's home life.

When shortening the video, we didn't want to lose the content that allows the viewer to connect with Luzy. We left in small moments that clearly convey her personality.

The final video is just over three minutes, and communicates the purpose of Team Up while showing the benefit of the program through Luzy's experience.

Team-Up for Youth brings after-school sports and trained coaches to low-income neighborhoods. The program is designed to give children mentors and to teach them valuable life skills through sports.