Young local athletes walk players onto field at Brazil-Haiti match in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A group of young athletes from the Manayunk-based Starfinder Foundation experienced what many soccer fans only dream of: walking onto the field alongside professional players before the Brazil vs. Haiti match in South Philadelphia Friday night.

More than 100 Starfinder participants were selected to serve as player escorts for five of the six matches taking place in the city. Among them were Emma Miller of Mount Airy, Isabella Ritter of Roxborough, and Bryan Frazier of North Philadelphia.

"It was really fun meeting all the players, they would wave to us and give us high fives," Miller said. "It was nerve-wracking, but it was also a lot of fun."

Frazier said he was especially excited to walk out with the Brazilian team. "I think their team is amazing because yesterday they won the game," he said.

The young athletes stepped onto the field as more than 68,000 fans filled the stadium with cheers. For Starfinder coach, Andrea Rodgers, watching the moment unfold was emotional.

"Oh my gosh, when I watched them walk out on the field with those players, the amount of chills and tears that welled up - just because we talked about it leading up to the opportunity, but not until they're on the field could they recognize how huge it was," Rodgers said.

"It was very energetic. Just crazy," Ritter said. "I could feel a bunch of vibrations through me and when we were rehearsing one time, the seats are empty. The next, the seats are full of people!"

The opportunity came through Common Goal, a global charitable organization that partners with Starfinder to expand access to soccer.

"We are about reducing barriers to entry and so for many of our youth and families, obviously the price of entry for the World Cup is out of reach," she said. "And the fact that not only could they go, could they participate, but they got to actually be on the field is just incredible."

And the experience may have earned these kids a little celebrity status among their friends.

"They were in shock," Ritter said. "Very shocked that I got to do that and probably a little jealous!"

Rodgers hopes the World Cup's presence in Philadelphia will inspire more young people to get involved in the sport. "We will be a place for those kids to be able to land," she said. "They don't have to have skill, they don't have to have tremendous resources. They can just come here, we give equipment, we give resources, we give instruction and we really do create a community where everybody is included and welcome and I'm excited for what that will look like after FIFA leaves Philly."

Another group of Starfinder players is scheduled to escort athletes during Monday's match between France and Iraq.