When Freddy Segoviano talks about Oakland, he talks about neighbors who know each other, local shops that feel like extensions of home, and the kind of place where people step up to help each other out. Born and raised in East Oakland, Freddy has carried that sense of community into everything he does, from teaching first graders after school at Global Family Elementary to his role today as the Oakland Program Manager with America SCORES. Along the way, soccer, poetry, and even food adventures have shaped the way he sees connection and belonging.

You grew up in Oakland. What does being from Oakland mean to you?

I was born and raised in East Oakland. I’ve been here all my life, 27 years. I’m proud to say I’m from here. Where I live, it’s super diverse, but my neighborhood especially has a lot of Latino culture. It always feels good being around that vibe, that energy. It’s fun, it’s loving—neighbors talking to each other, knowing each other for years. The local shops know everybody, so it feels like a real community. If my tire goes flat, I know my neighbor who’s good with cars. That’s what I mean when I say we’re united. We look out for each other.

How did you get involved in working with kids and eventually SCORES?

I’ve been working with youth since high school, so like 10 years now. After I graduated, I started with BACR at Global Family Elementary in Oakland, teaching first graders, then fourth and fifth graders after school. I was there for about seven years. That’s actually where I met Coach Kevin (Kevin Calderon, now a SCORES program director). He introduced SCORES to the school. He told me it was soccer and poetry, and I thought, “Okay, I like both those things, let’s do it.” I started as a SCORES coach and two years later became a program manager with a team of three program coordinators. Together, we oversee around 32 schools. I still get to go out to schools and be with students sometimes, which I love, but I’m also making sure everything’s running smoothly for all our poet-athletes.

You mentioned poetry. What role has writing played in your life?

Back in high school, I used to carry a journal everywhere. Whenever I had a little break, I’d write something down—poetry, random ideas, whatever. I still do that sometimes, even if it’s just in my phone’s notes app. For me, poetry is a way to express myself to capture my life. That’s what I love about SCORES—it’s not just soccer. We’re helping students build confidence and character, and giving them tools to express themselves through writing.

What do you love to do outside of SCORES?

I love bike riding. Whenever I get the chance, I’ll just take my bike out and ride around. Sometimes I’ll hop on BART, go out to Richmond, and bike all the way back to Oakland on the trails. It feels freeing—no worries, just me, the air hitting my face, cruising down with my backpack, water, maybe a snack. I also still play a lot of soccer, pickup games with my little brother or whoever’s around. That’s the thing I love about pickup: you don’t even have to know each other. You’ve got a ball, I’ve got cleats, the field’s open, let’s play. And I love food. I’ll try anything. In Mexico, I’ve had grasshoppers in tacos and even iguana in soup. Iguana actually tastes a lot like chicken.

Who or what has shaped the way you think about community?

My parents are from Mexico. My dad’s from Jalisco, and my mom’s from a little village in Michoacán called Turicato. People ride donkeys around, and chickens are crossing the road, scorpions crawling around. That’s just life there. My mom tells me stories about when it rained so hard their house would flood, and she’d have to stand up all night so she didn’t get wet before going to school in the morning. She came here when she was 17 or 18, looking for more opportunities for her family. I think she brought that spirit of resilience and looking out for others with her, and that’s part of how I was raised. For me, community means just that—being there for each other and making sure everyone’s good.

To read more SCORES Five Questions With conversations, go here!