This wasn’t the final season Julia and Josh Kohlbrenner had hoped for. The seniors at Fayetteville-Manlius have managed to find a silver lining.

What You Need To Know

  • Clear Path for Veterans pairs service dogs with veterans in need

  • The Kohlbrenners started training Flash in July

  • For every goal the boys soccer team scores, community members donate to Clear Path for Veterans

“Having some motivation, for the boys and the girls [soccer teams] has been great," says Julia. "We still have something to work towards.”

That motivation comes from Flash, a service dog in training. Part of her job will be staying calm in any situation, making the twins games a perfect time to practice.

“It gets her used to being around a lot of people, and she needs that for when she is with a veteran in a store with a crowd of people," Josh says. "It helps train her to not be shocked by anything or scared of anything.”

The Kohlbrenners are training Flash in partnership with Clear Path for Veterans. It’s an organization they know well. The past few years, the boys team has had community members make a donation for every goal scored. They’re aiming to raise $10,000 this year.

“I set up a lot of goals, so we score a lot," Josh says with a chuckle. "It feels good to give back to the community and the veterans. I have veterans in my family, so it feels good to give back.”