Soccer in the Streets

New videos, check them out!

2010-12-06T10:56:00.001-05:00

"Soccer son" does good

2010-04-13T10:22:00.003-04:00

It's nice when one of your kids can articulate a lesson learned. And it's even nicer when he is prepared to take that lesson and impart it to others.

Like one of my board members told me, after reading the testimonial, "If you never get any other reward for your work then this would be a great."

I wish I could be satisfied with that. It is some consolation, but given my "Joan of Arc" nature, it is just not enough.

Here, you can judge for yourself.

"How Soccer in the Streets changed me?

Soccer in the Streets came into my neighborhood and took interest in some kids who know one else cared about. These people knew nothing about us. Yet they believed in us more then we believed in ourselves.

Soon they rubbed off on us and some of started to even believe that maybe we were worth being saved. A lot of organizations showed up and left just as quickly as they came. When you are expecting someone to leave you do everything possible not to let your guard down and be disappointed all over again. How does the saying go, “fool me once, shame on me”? We used ask each other; Why do they stick around even though we give them our best shot? Why is this organization different from the rest?

Then we came to realize they were just weird and out of the norm. Who were these people and why are they not just trying to make a buck off of us? Maybe they are just police officers undercover and we’re just pawns in another bust. We were always used to being abandoned or used. The only people who cared in our life were our family and they were kind of stuck with us.

Well turns out they really just cared about our well-being and they were in it for the long haul. One day I asked Jill what the worst part about coming in our type of neighborhood. I was sure she was going to say the possibility of being shot or maybe mugged. She told me that the worst part was that she knew she wasn’t going to be able to save everyone.

Soccer in the Streets came in and taught what it meant to be humane and what was right from wrong, they taught us that there was more outside of Keystone Apartments and that we had a right to it just as much as anyone else did. Now I’m older and have decided that it’s time for me to start my own organization and start teaching people the same principles Soccer in the Streets gave me. And to think this all started with an old baseball field and a soccer ball."

The trap

2010-03-30T14:13:00.003-04:00

Some of our kids participate in your traditional youth soccer leagues in the spring and fall. Every team presents its own challenges and adventures. I'm coaching two teams this spring, one at KIPP South Fulton Academy for the 7th & 8th graders and our U19 Soccer in the Streets Estudiantes. The two teams could not be any more different.

At KIPP-SFA, nearly all of my kids have never played soccer outside of school. We play in a league with other school teams at a similar skill level. It's been fun to watch this program develop. When I started there in 2007, soccer was a total afterthought. Basketball and flag football were much more important to the school and the kids. However, something happened when we missed out on the playoffs that first year. Some of the kids actually cried after losing our last game. They realized that they did care about soccer. Most of that group came back in 2008 and we made it to the championship game before losing. Last year, we won our first title.

This year has been like starting over, I only had three 7th graders on last year's team. We've tied both of our games so far 1-1 and play the top team in the league tomorrow night. The commitment level is starting to come around, but I'm not sure just yet.

With the Estudiantes, commitment to soccer isn't the issue. Most of these kids will play on as many teams that will have them. It's getting them to prioritize, that's the tricky part. We've had good progress this year though. After tying our first 2 games, we won 2 over the weekend by 4-0 and 3-0 scores. It's some of the stories about their lives off the field that get to me.

Riding back from the game on Saturday, one of my new players talked about how his father would get aggressive with him when he was drunk. It's tough to hear stuff like that. These kids, actually young adults, live in some tough situations. Based on their surroundings it's real easy for them to choose a destructive path. That's what they see everyday.

I also heard about one of my former players who been in and out of jail. This was a kid who's had a tough upbringing, but soccer was something that kept him motivated. I actually helped get him re-enrolled at his high school after he had dropped out. Unfortunately, once he found out that he wasn't going to be able to play soccer for the school team because of his lack of credits, he eventually dropped out again.

When I hear stuff like that, it makes me want to do more. For a lot of these kids, soccer is what drives them. I could hold practice sessions every day with them if it was feasible. Unfortunately, we can't be there holding a soccer ball every day. Sometimes the kids are faced with tough decisions and pressure from friends and family members. I always hold out hope that the kids will remember what we talk about and what's truly important to them.

We're sending kids to South Africa for the World Cup!!

2010-03-10T11:19:00.004-05:00

Three Soccer in the Streets participants, along with one program graduate and Program Director Ricardo Montoya, will be joining up with teammates from the Starfinder Foundation in Philadelphia and the US Soccer Foundation to represent the United States at the Football for Hope Festival 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa!

The participants will be named next week, check back to learn more about them and their journey!

"What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?"

2010-02-16T10:48:00.000-05:00

Soccer in the Streets' new program teaches important skill sets and values through soccer to kids resulting in employable adults

Atlanta, GA- February 16, 2010 Soccer in the Streets, an organization dedicated to teaching positive life choices through soccer, is focusing its efforts on a new initiative designed to give middle school and high school kids the necessary tools to create a successful future. This new initiative will empower students to become employable adults by teaching them important lessons while giving them access to necessary resources.

Soccer in the Streets will offer rewards and incentives for academic achievements and successful employment. Soccer will serve as a conduit to teach students lessons on and off the field. From basic skills such as cooperation and following directions to helping teens build their resume, Soccer in the Streets is striving to create greater opportunities for program participants by helping them find summer jobs and educating them about business and general employment. By emphasizing the importance of education and success, Soccer in the Streets hopes for a bright future for its participants.

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Labor, more than half of adults who had worked one to twenty hours per week as sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds were more likely than other adults to have completed at least some college education.

"Our programs are designed to teach kids important skills for the future such as team work, punctuality, respect, determination and hard work," said Jill Robbins, executive director of Soccer in the Streets. "Our ultimate goal is for kids to leave our program with the confidence to pursue their dreams."

Have a Ball Says Local Business to Kids Soccer Charity

2010-01-04T11:17:00.000-05:00

Soccer in the Streets partners with Insignia Promotions and receives generous donation

Atlanta, GA- January 4, 2010 Soccer in the Streets, an organization dedicated to teaching positive choices through soccer, announced today its recent partnership with Insignia Promotions, a marketing and consumer promotions provider. Introduced at a November Football Partnerships event, the two organizations discussed their common goal - giving back to the community. Soccer in the Streets received a charitable donation of soccer balls which will be used for future programs and as rewards for good behavior and constant attendance.

"We are grateful for the generous contribution from Insignia Promotions", said Jill Robbins, executive director of Soccer in the Streets. "With this partnership and donation, we are able to continue to change kids' lives and impact the community."

"We're always looking for ways to support children's involvement in organized sports and give back to the community," said J.T. Marburger, founder of Insignia Promotions. "Soccer in the Streets instills core values while creating a healthy lifestyle for kids. It was the perfect fit for our organization and we are proud to be supporters of such a great cause."

For more information about Soccer in the Streets or how you can become involved, please visitwww.soccerstreets.org.

Parents v. Kids Day

2009-11-16T12:16:00.004-05:00

Following what has now become a seasonal tradition, the Soccer in the Streets League in College Park, GA concluded the Fall 2009 season with the “Parents vs. Kids” games.

Trash talking started earlier in the season, as the U6’s were intent on showing the parents their newfound skills and giving them the sound thrashing that their season-long jibes deserved. With a combined force of 4, 5, 6 AND 7 years olds, the parents went down to defeat and the “Little Kids” held the “Parents vs. the Kids” cup proudly and loudly.

The older kids – comprised of U10s, U12s, and U14s (including the GoGirls) were a formidable opponent for the much older and much more weathered parent contingent. In spite of scrappy play and unrelenting attacks by the kids, the parents superior wisdom and experience ruled the day and the kids went down to a sobering defeat – YET AGAIN – in the Fall 2009 edition of the Parents vs. the Kids. It could be said that the refereeing may have been a bit biased or outright lax, however we should all remember that the referee is not the one out there kicking the ball for the other team and while they may call back 10 out of your eleven goals, the score would still be one – nothing. Never blame the referee for your own shortcomings.

Coach Jill would like it pointed out that the play of the day was a beautiful cross from the left wing to the far post, met perfectly by the hard head of Curtis Curtis. Props are also due to the goalkeeping prowess of Kevin Butler. Nice try, kids, see you next season!

Congrats to Bobby King!

2009-11-05T11:23:00.002-05:00

Bobby has been one of longest serving volunteers in Clarkston, GA and has been instrumental in expanding our programming into that community. He was recently honored by the DeKalb Champion newspaper as its Champion of the Week! Congratulations Bobby!

You can read the article at this link.

Our triumphant return

2009-10-20T15:03:00.003-04:00

The last of our updates from Germany, be on the lookout for pics and videos as soon as we can process them...

In spite of the late night, everyone was pretty pumped up for the tournament today. _Most_ of the crew was on time for the bus to take us to Erfurt, which is about a 35 minute ride from camp.

We arrived at a big hall just south of downtown (old town) Erfurt. The hall is sometimes used for concerts. Today it was all about the football. A local organization, “Spirit of Football” hosted the event for what looked to be about 150 or so kids ranging in age from grade school (8, 9, 10ish) to college age on 5 temporary courts set up for the day. The courts were dasherboards with recessed goals and netting, approximately 10 by 15 meters. Some of the others referred to them as “cages.” (I thought it was nice that I could just put the kids in a cage for the day and that they would entertain themselves … but seriously… the Miami kids hadn’t really played on an “indoor” type of field, so it took some adjusting for them.)

During our preparations, we were filmed by the Todo Aleman camera person and Eddy’s mom was pretty excited to be interviewed for the video. I must admit that it was a challenge to move the kids around for pictures and get our heads into playing at the same time. I do hope that Michel Hofig and the crew were able to get the media shots that they needed. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for their support and we really appreciate the opportunity. Hopefully we’ll get to do this again next year.

One interesting thing to note was the format for the tournament and that there was a possible 6 points given for each game. Based upon the result of the game, you would be given 3 points for a win, 2 for a tie and 1 for a loss. The other three points came from “Fair Play” assessments. Prior to each game, the teams would decide on any special fair play rules for that particularly game (i.e. no checking, goals cannot be scored from further than half field, no tickling, one must help a player up after a spill, etc.) The remaining three points would be awarded based upon how well a team abided by the fair play rules. Additionally, the teams had to come up with a post-game celebration that would be done with the other team. I saw the “crawling train” and another one that was actually pretty funny – one team ran up to the other team and the other team fell backwards in a exaggerated way. I wish that I had caught that on video.

The age groups were divided into Under 14 or 14 and up. Given that our team was comprised of 13, 14, 14, 16, 16 and 18, we had to go with the 14 & up, even though we were dwarfed by some of the guys on the other teams. (Especially Eddy.) Our first schedule game was actually a forfeit by the other team (not quite sure of the reason) so we took advantage of the time on the court to get a little 3v3 among ourselves. It was a good opportunity to see how the courts played. They were quite a tight space and the wood floors were very slippery. No amount of spitting on the sole of your shoes was really going to help either.

The first team we played muscled the heck out of us and we fell behind quickly by 2 or 3 goals. We ran in our two subs at about 4 minutes and they changed the game quickly and soon we were tied and pressuring. The other team then got frustrated and started roughing us up a bit more, but we survived with a 3-3 draw. After the match, it was determined that the other team did not deserve any fair play points and we received all of ours, making the final point total our 5 to their 2. When they became quite upset and protested, it only served to prove that the decision was the correct one. Duh! At least they were able to get their composure back by having a smoke after the game. Uh, can you say “DUH!” again?

The second team we played were much better at passing and shooting on goal. While they still played pretty hard, they were a lot cleaner and beat us quite fairly. We did give them quite a run though, but fell short after a brief rally late in the game. Once they got up by 3 goals to our none, we had a difficult time making up ground. We got within one goal when the score was 3-2, but they slipped in another one before the final score ended up being 5-3. Our guys did well, in spite of the intimidation factor and Andrea’s bum ankle.

We came in second place on our group and advanced into the second round, where we faced some grown men! The first team we played just barely beat us and the second team we faced were local university students and they had some fun and took US to school. I am glad to say that our guys never backed down or gave up. And they didn’t whine about the odds being against them when they were clearly outmatched. Yes, they wanted to win. They are each very competitive and hard players. They live for this. But they showed that they have class, too. I was really proud with how they represented themselves, their team and their country. Apparently they impressed the organizers as well. We maxed out of Fair Play points and received the Fair Play team trophy – the biggest trophy given out today! Then, as icing on the cake, Alyse won the best player award. She flat out kicked butt as a defender – since she had to be a goalie without hands today. Our friends from Poland won their division (U14) and one of their players, Max, won the Fairest Player award.

After the tournament, we walked into downtown Erfurt and got a look around. The kids shopped, I ate a doner (yes! And I plan to eat at least one more before I leave on Sunday) and rested my feet while the kids explored. Thanks to Thomas for being a great tour guide, along with the Erfurt kids who also showed us around.

By the way, did you hear that sound? That was the sound of the CRASH that has hit, as everyone is completely finished for the day.

(Just a quick sidenote: for those of you who are familiar with our membership in the streetfootballworld network, I was pleasantly surprised to look up today and see my dear friend, Johannes Axter, visiting from Berlin. Johannes was the first person to meet me, along with Vladimir, when I first visited Germany. We spent a few moments catching up and anticipating another visit in Alexandra, Johannesburg, South Africa next summer for the streetfootballworld festival ’10 during the FIFA World Cup.)

Holy crap, it's snowing!

2009-10-15T19:41:00.002-04:00

Just received the latest from the Germany crew, wonder how the Miami kids are liking the snow?

Yes, I used the “s” word.

We had our usual lovely breakfast of crusty rolls (Andrea often eats about 3 of them with chocolate spread on them) and various cereals, cold cuts, cheese, butter and so on. Then to the indoor soccer gymnasium, where we played as a country team for the first time ever. While we didn’t lose any games, we tied the eventual winner of the bracket and the tournament. (We also tied our other game, while the top team beat their opponent.) The match against the eventual winner, Poland, was very intense and easily the best match of the day.

After some debate, disagreement, discord, our team has decided to stay together for the tournament tomorrow. The dilemma was that it is a 4v4 tournament, we have six players and no one wants to sit. With assurances that I will manage the subs, everyone has agreed that it would be better to have a couple of subs throughout the day. We’ll probably play about eight 10 minute games in about 5 hours. I’m glad that has been resolved and that they would stick together. (The boys voted to “let” the girls go find another team and the girls just seethed. Luckily, my vote counts for 5 so the girls win.)

After a lovely lunch of fish, mashed potatoes and gravy, we were ready for the workshops. The choices were freestyle soccer (juggling tricks demonstrated and taught by a world-class professional juggler from the UK), graffiti, video editing and drumming. Our kids split up between the graffiti and the freestyle. When we went out to the pitch for the freestyle and the graffiti, it began snowing. Not really hard and it didn’t really last too long. Just the fact that it was cold enough to snow was a bit jarring for most of us. The kids didn’t seem to mind it, though. Our kids just put on their warm ups and shrugged it off.

We then had a bit of free time before dinner, then it was time to get our little country presentation together. We decided to do a skit. It was ‘a-ight.’ It was a lesson on how to pick up American girls, with our boys being clearly outclassed by Barack Obama. The girl called them out, “You’re a jerk” and the New Boyz took over from there. After some “jerking”, “Barack” told everyone that he’s a jelly donut in German and the whole sad affair was put behind us. We managed a few cheap laughs and got a few people to bust a move, including me. All in good fun.

Our “surprise” for the evening was a night walk “treasure hunt.” We’re surrounded by woods and it is only a short walk through them to the castle. We then came back by way of trails and pastures and eventually found the treasure. Walking through the damp woods, in the dark, with 40-odd teenagers is an experience not to be described. Laughing, yelling, screaming, joking, etc. Fun to watch … that is, if you could see. I tried to shoot a little video, but I doubt that anything will actually show up. The sound track should prove to be interesting though.

By the way, the treasure turned out to be a chest full of candy and snacks. Just what any teenager would want at 11:00 at night. Pleasant dreams… once they come down from the sugar high and get to sleep. I imagine our team’s performance tomorrow may be a bit suspect. We’ll see.

G-night from cold, damp Beichlingen.

Amazing adventures in Alemania

2009-10-15T13:29:00.004-04:00

Report #2 from Jill in Germany...

My internet access has been a bit sketchy this week. There is only one internet connection and a number of people who are trying to use it. (A number of the leaders are not necessarily full-time soccer organizers like me or they are full-time soccer organizers and are trying to organize other stuff off site this week.) Needless to say, the kids’ access to Facebook has been very restricted!

The last couple of days have been interesting. The tournament that started on Monday was finished up on Tuesday morning and then one of the teams needed an extra game (they had played all of their round robin games on the previous day), so as not to have them just sitting, they played against a “teamers” team. I got to play in that game with the teamers. Then teams were reformed for the next tournament, sans a few of the girls, so there was a need for a few more bodies, so I get to be on a team. Woo hoo! By the way, the teamers won their game and my team, “Final Footballers” won their first game and tied the second game 0-0. I honestly believe that we’re the team to beat. Sammy and Kaylo are on the team.

There have been numerous comments on how good our players are, especially the girls. During the tournament, any team needing a goalie would ask Alyse to play with them. Although Andrea’s ankle is still rehabbing, she is clearly a competitive and skilled player. Kaylo is a lefty, very quiet and very strong. He lives up to the day-glo green shoes he wears. Sammy is a field general. In addition to skills, he is also an organizer on the field and vocal. Amiri is very skillful and versatile, however a bit impetuous. The maturity will come with time. However, he can never be faulted for lack of work ethic… no one tries harder or plays harder than Amiri. Eddie is the “Dennis the Menace” both on and off the field. Very mischievous and scrappy. He players older than his young years (he’s the baby of our group at 13) and you never know what kind of trick he’s going to pull out – again, both on and off the field.

After playing, we ate some delicious pasta and then had some prep time to discuss the trip to Buchenwald. I have to admit, as goofy as these guys can be at times, I was a little concerned that they might take the occasion lightly, yet still felt that they would also get a lot out of it. Afterwards, it was cleaning time. Staying at a hostel in little “houses” means that we don’t have maid service. Of course, in the girls’ house, there has been the usual cattiness and sniping about “I told her not to wear her shoes into the bathroom,” “I’ve already cleaned in there, those others should do it now,” “I think that someone stole my thingy,” and so on. Nothing major… it never is.

Dinner was the repeat from the night before – salad, bread, cold cuts, with some new items – pineapple bits and kippered snacks in tomato sauce. Then it was time to get ready for the disco. There’s another group staying at the camp who are a bunch of seniors on their “senior trip.” It’s very interesting that they are here without any chaperones and that they mostly sit around drinking and smoking. And to think, I had to go to Disneyland for my senior trip. But they had a couple of DJ’s that mixed some music (???) and the kids did the usual kid thing … boys clustered together in one part of the room and girls clustered together in another part. This was a bit different because the two separate groups were further divided … so it was their girls, our girls, their boys our boys and ne’er the twain shall meet. After a while, some of the boys started dancing around in a circle, then some girls joined in – particularly our bold American girls.
Today’s trip to Weimar and Buchenwald was good. We had fun shopping, getting lost and goofing off in Weimar. Of course, Buchenwald was much more somber. After we returned to our camp, we had some reflection time. I asked the kids what they learned… they all thought that it was a good experience and that they learned a lot. They were astonished at the ingenuity demonstrated for the purpose of killing and disposing of people, as well as some of the details of the camp (that it was a “work” camp, not a “death” camp – although many people died there, that it was all male, that people were separated into groups – such as Jews, homosexuals, political prisoners, social misfits, and so on.) There were two insights expressed by the kids that impressed me… “if we could use all of that smart stuff for good, we would be a lot better off” and “if all of those people hadn’t died, what would they have actually done in life?” It was also notable that some of the kids in the group who were from Germany and other countries in Europe (i.e. Poland – which is where Auschwitz is located) have been personally affected by this horrible chapter in history. I think that most of us were deeply affected by our trip today. (Sidebar: as we were on our guided tour, I was taking some pictures and shooting some video. Once we entered the crematorium, which is in essence a graveyard, I found it impossible to record anything. It was pretty gut-wrenching. It’s very hard to explain my feelings.)

We finished our day with a barbecue and now the kids are in the common room playing a variety of games, including a foosball tournament. Happy ending.

All the best from Germany. Type to you later.

Check out the video of the winning team from the German Street Soccer Cup in Atlanta this summer...

Learning lessons

2009-10-14T18:00:00.003-04:00

When the news broke yesterday afternoon about US national team star Charlie Davies' car accident, I was getting ready for practice with our School of Life kids in College Park. After hearing that his injuries, while severe, were not life threatening, I started wondering what happened.

We all know what typically goes on when you're out at 3 in the morning. It's a shame that Charlie put himself in that position. Even though the team is still celebrating qualifying for the World Cup, they have a game to play this week and Charlie is in the midst of a big season in the French first division.

One of the kids came up to me and asked if I had heard about Davies when I got to practice. The kids I coach are almost all Mexican, they have tons of respect for Davies after his goal in the Azteca in August.

After our warm-up, I called the guys together and we were talking about our last game and some of the mistakes that were made. Some of the guys were talking through my speech and not paying attention. After calling them out and walking away for a second, I came back to get serious.

I told them about what happened with Davies, not everyone had heard about it. We talked about the decision to be out at that time of the night and what it now might cost him. Most importantly, we talked about how you never know how much time you have and to get the most out of your time both on and off the field.

There's endless stories about players who haven't lived up to their potential. There's even more stories about people who have made mistakes that have changed their lives. I don't want those things for the kids I coach.

Condolences to the person who passed away in the accident and best wishes to all who were affected. Hopefully, this can be a learning lesson, and maybe even a wake-up call, for those who might need it.

-Jason

Update from the Fearless Leader...

2009-10-12T16:16:00.003-04:00

Our Executive Director Jill Robbins is in Germany for the next week with a group of kids who were selected from our Germany Street-Cups this summer. 3 kids from Atlanta and 3 kids from Miami are participating in a youth festival bringing together kids from 4 different countries.

If we have some technological luck, we'll have some pictures and video for you this week. Keep checking back here...

Happy Columbus Day

We’ve done a bit of exploring ourselves, having spent what seemed like 2 whole days traveling. The Miami kids left Miami on Saturday morning, arriving in Atlanta by 11 a.m. Then they waited for the Atlanta contingent to arrive at Hartsfield 3 hours later. After introductions and pictures, we made our way through security and boarded our plane. The flight was a long one – leaving at around 4:45 p.m. and arriving in Dusseldorf by 6:30 a.m. local time (12:30 a.m. EDT). We then hung around the airport terminal and airport train station until our train left just before noon. At this point, there had been only a little bit of sleeping on the plane. Our train trip was 4 ½ hours to Erfurt, most of which was spent asleep. I did get to see some of the lovely countryside. At the Erfurt train station, we missed our first connecting train, but caught the next one the following hour, made the last train to Sommerda, at which we literally ran to the last train to Kolleda, where the vans to take us to camp were waiting.

It has been somewhat dreary and rainy all the time we’ve been here. It is also cold, with highs in the 50’s (and 40’s today, through Thursday.) We should be seeing the sun tomorrow through Thursday, though it will be chilly.

The kids have been anxious to play football. The time spent at the Dusseldorf airport was in a fruitless attempt to find a soccer ball, seeing that no one thought to pack one. While at the Dusseldorf train station, the kids fashioned a ball out of paper to play a little 3-on-3 in the hallway. The paper ball lost its shape and a pair of folded socks was then used.

Once we arrived in camp, the first question was “when do we get to play?” which was promptly answered, “tomorrow.”

The kids did some ice-breaker activities after dinner and got a chance to meet some of the other kids. There are several countries represented here: Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, and USA. Everything is being conducted in German and English. One of the teamers is also from Cuba and has been able to communicate with the kids from Miami in Spanish.
The kids are getting their wish right now, as they are out at the football pitches (street style, small pitches) playing on their mixed teams. They formed the teams by having each player choose a piece of the puzzle out of a sack. The kids then formed their teams as they discovered the picture to which their piece belonged and the other kids who also had pieces from that puzzle. Each of our kids are on separate teams. I am anxious to see how they did. (I was sorting out the internet thing and have missed most of the tournament.) They will also play after lunch. There are eight teams and they will play against each team, with a final among the top finishing teams. We will using this format for tomorrow and Thursday. Wednesday we are doing travel and Friday we play in Erfurt with our country team. We will then do a tournament here on Saturday with our country teams as well.

Breakfast was the typical German breakfast … wonderful, soft crusty rolls, with cheese and coldcuts. Cereal with milk, tea and coffee. Not sure what to expect for lunch. We may be “meat and potatoed” to death. I’ll keep you posted on that.

The accommodations are fairly comfortable. The beds are a bit hard for me, but I’m used to a waterbed, so that’s not surprising. The bathrooms are Spartan and a bit disgusting. But that’s to be expected also, as there are 15 people to share 2. The younger boys are bit intimidated by their much older roommates, but have been given latitude to switch into another room. Two of our boys have a room to themselves, so the other two will probably switch to their room. Overall, they seem to be adapting well. I think that the “expect anything, be flexible” speech has had a positive effect.

Relive the Black-Tie Soccer Game!

2009-10-09T13:01:00.003-04:00

You can now see photos from the Black-Tie Soccer Game here and here.

Videos are also available on our YouTube site here.

The players involved raised over $15,000 for Atlanta youth development programs! Andre de Winter was the game's MVP, he alone raised over $3,000. Well done to Andre and to all of his fellow players.

We're already looking forward to next year!

Meet the participants of the Black-Tie Soccer Game

2009-09-28T14:25:00.000-04:00

Chris ‘Mad Skillz’ Mahaffey

Mad Skillz earned his stripes as a professional for the Atlanta Silverbacks. As the Director of Training and Development for AFC Lightning Soccer Club, he’s lacing his boots up one more time to help Soccer in the Streets, a cause that brings kids the opportunity to play soccer and learn life lessons. We’ll see if he still has those crazy-licious moves.

Brian P. Stoddart aka Mystery

Legend has it that Mystery played his football for Santos FC in Jamaica. Now the Director of Coaching for Atlanta Youth Soccer Association, he’s taking part to support an organization that improves the lives of youth in Atlanta. Markers must be mindful: Mystery is an accomplished trickster and trash talker.

Ramiro ‘El Mascota’ Canovas

El Mascota, the Mascot, is known and feared around the world – particularly when there is a contest to be won. During a high school basketball game, Ramiro snuck away to dress up in a bear costume and returned at half time to win a half court shooting contest. El Mascota is playing because he loves soccer and it instills values regardless of money, status or race. Let’s see if he’s as clever in a tuxedo as in a bear costume.

Jason Thomas aka The Bionic Man

With 11 surgeries already performed on his reconstructed body, Jason Thomas is the Bionic Man. But don’t mistake the steel plates and staples for invincibility: He can be bullied if you speak to him in an English accent. Who is the Bionic Man? He’s the one dressed like a Chippendale’s dancer with shin guards and a bow tie.

Tim ‘Forgetting is a Habit’ Abbott

Abbot, who won the Blue Peter badge at age nine, forgot that he also won the Pink Sally badge at age 23 – but that’s probably because he’d downed six pints of chumbawumba in one night. But don’t mistake him for anything but a good friend. After all, he convinced the hotel manager to let Phil Hill return to his own bachelor party even though Phil was dressed as Catwoman. Tim has since forgotten why he signed up for the Black-Tie Soccer Game, figuring he was probably drunk at the time and slightly deluded: He also thinks he looks like Daniel Craig when wearing a tux.

Andre ‘Sexy Legs’ de Winter

A veteran of all World Cups since 1974, as a television-viewer, of course, Sexy Legs will strut his stuff for all to see. Nicknamed by his wife, we’re told that Andre can drink a beer and score a goal at the same time. October 4 is Sexy Legs’ birthday, and he has chosen to use his special day to give back to the people he cares about. Ice Cream’s on Sexy Legs’ for all the kids afterwards!

Josh Zimmer aka Pele’s Godson

Some say that Josh is from outer space or, at least, the (New York) Cosmos. Supposedly the godson of Pele, Zimmer is famed for performing the Pineapple Kick, the juicier version of the Banana Kick, in a game’s most crucial moments. Pele’s Godson is looking forward to donning his tuxedo and putting on his Brazilian accent.

Michael ‘The Convincer’ Valverde

The Convincer’s claim to fame is that he persuaded Alexa Adamo to marry him. ‘Nuff said.

Toby ‘Graeme to Crackers’ Hawkes

Toby once injured former Liverpool FC and Scotland National Team hardman Graeme Souness badly enough to earn the nickname ‘Graeme to Crackers. Hawkes was 15 at the time and hasn’t had a friend since. He’s new to Atlanta, still has no friends, no one to kick a ball around with, and nowhere to go for dinner. A gentleman sportsman beneath it all, Toby’s here for the kids.

Jill Robbins aka Coach

For the past 25 years, Coach has introduced the sport of soccer to thousands of kids. The ultimate ‘soccer mom’, Jill has adopted participants of Soccer in the Streets as her own. Even though she never played as a kid, she’s participating because girls can play with the boys and, well, the Black-Tie Soccer Game was her idea and she’s not about the miss the fun! Look for her in her 30 20 10-year old prom dress kicking the other players up and down the pitch.

Brian ‘Scoring Goals’ Koles

After being banned from the Bahamas in 2005 following a Spring Break incident that involved a stuffed animal in a bikini, a water balloon and sunscreen oil, Brian took to the sport of soccer and since then, well, the nickname says it all. He’s playing because no one ever invites him to nice parties, but – after the Bahamas – it’s no wonder. Considered a great catch by his grandmother, Brian’s fans will be on the sidelines with fishing poles trying to reel him in.

Travis ‘Top Striker’ Riker

Known more for his singing prowess than his scoring, the Top Striker is the lead singer in Grammy nominated rock band. A college soccer player, Travis believes that the Black-Tie Soccer Game represents the perfect balance between the sport he loves and helping kids in need. Bring your video cameras and put him on YouTube – he dares you!

Ivan ‘Ginger Balls’ Wademan

Ginger Balls taught Phil Hill everything he knows about football, errr soccer. He’s playing because everybody loves a redhead in a dress and he wants to be on television. (And something about doing good for kids, too.)

Phil ‘The Thrill’ Hill

A notoriously rough player back in the day, Phil is Chairman of the Board of Soccer in the Streets. The Southampton native, sadly no longer a season ticket holder, bides his time being an Internet entrepreneur and showing the world how he became The Thrill.

Elizabeth Griffith aka The Coke Zero Hero

An expert on all things FIFA who works for Coca-Cola in the Football Events division, The Coke Zero Hero earned her nickname for scoring goals without expending any calories. Elizabeth is an avid footy player, throwing on her boots whenever she can. She's also a newlywed. Awww.

Chris ‘The Gecko’ Goeckel

The Gecko brings freakish speed to the game, slithering in and out of opponents’ penalty boxes. He also owns a technology company and is a long time fixture of the Atlanta soccer scene. The Gecko hails from the "Datagraphic" era – anyone around Atlanta knows that name from the men's club soccer heyday.

Jordy ‘Cruyff’ Broder

Although not the son of the famed Dutchman, Jordy is a rep for PUMA and is a former Atlanta Silverbacks player. He’ll bring his southeastern interpretation of Total Football to the Black-Tie Soccer Game.

Heather ‘So So Def’ Alhadeff

Heather is a local do-gooder and a friend of a friend of a friend of a – you get the idea. So So Def will bring hip-hop style to the soccer pitch, so watch out!

Ricardo ‘Redcard-o’ Montoya

Celebrity referee Redcard-o Montoya is no stranger to the game. For the day, he’ll be the whistle-blower – even if he earned his nickname for showing a ref the red card during a match in which he was playing.

Welcome to the new Soccer in the Streets website!

2009-05-30T10:39:00.002-04:00

Bear with us as we fix up the place. We figured that since it's our 20th Anniversary, we should try to enter the 21st Century when it comes to our website!

Any suggestions are welcome, please leave a comment on this post and we'll get back to you. Thanks for reading and thanks for your interest in helping disadvantaged kids!

A weekend of firsts

2009-04-20T14:36:00.003-04:00

Busy weekend for yours truly...

- The KIPP-South Fulton 7th and 8th grade team won its first game of the season, coming from behind to win 4-3. One of the hardest working players scored his first ever goal to take the lead for good. This guy is someone who would never play soccer if it wasn't offered at his school, he's built like a running back or linebacker, and will be a star athlete in high school at whatever sport he chooses. He loves soccer though, and has a great understanding of it for someone who's only played about ten games in three years. The smile on his face after scoring was one of the best things I've ever seen.

- One of our young referees had to write up his first misconduct report after throwing out a coach and a player during a U12 recreational game. Although the experience is good for the referee, it's a shame that some of the adults ruin these games for the kids. I wish more coaches would realize that the youth game isn't about them, it's about the kids on the field.

- A School of Life student took his first ride on MARTA, Atlanta's public transit system, in order to get home after a game with Atlanta FC. This kid doesn't have a car and his parents are unable to transport him around town to his various practices and games due to their jobs and his younger brothers. He's becoming self sufficient though, and will be able to train and play at higher levels because of it. College opportunities are coming for him, we're just trying to get him ready.

It was a busy weekend, but a fulfilling one...

New opportunities

2009-04-08T16:12:00.003-04:00

I'm excited to be heading over to the Tennis in Motion Academy in College Park tomorrow to help out with their Spring Break camp. Even more exciting is the opportunity to take one of my U19 players along to get him started with his coaching education.

Isaac is a player who wasn't highly regarded when I first met him. He's a big guy (6'4"), left footed, but pretty raw on the soccer field. One of the best things about coaching our U19 team last season was watching this kid develop into a quality player. Going from being considered a joke by your teammates to a consistent starter and standout player is impressive. Factor in his performance at a recent college scouting combine and his excellent grades, and this is a guy who is going to go somewhere.

Tomorrow will hopefully be the first step in building up his knowledge off the field. If all goes well, Isaac will be helping us out as a staff coach at some of our summer camp positions in a few months. It will be his first work experience, which will only benefit him as he grows up.

Stuff like this is one of the reasons I love my job so much...

Black People Don't Play Soccer?

2009-03-26T16:48:00.003-04:00

A great review of the recently released book Black People Don't Play Soccer? got my attention this week. It also made me think...

I've been coaching at KIPP-South Fulton Academy in East Point, GA for three years now. My teams have been 99% African-American, with very little soccer experience outside of playing for the school team. It's been interesting to notice how much more attention they pay to soccer outside of school practices and games.

The first year, I'll never forget one of the kids coming up to me after practice. This guy was 6'3", great basketball player, had never played soccer before in his life. This was the day after an ESPN game with the then-Beckham less Galaxy. Becks would be making his debut for the team in a few months. This kid, who had probably seen a grand total of one soccer game in his life, wanted to know how much Beckham would help LA. For all of the talk about Beckham recently, his impact has been huge in getting people's attention.

Fast forward to this week, I asked the kids why they were playing for their school team. The majority talked about how much they loved soccer and wanted to play every chance they had. These kids haven't had the chances to play for the youth clubs with the pretty uniforms, shiny cleats, and thousand dollar seasons. Talk about an untapped talent pool...

Even as I'm writing this, one of the kids just called me. He was begging to practice in the gym today, even though practice has been canceled due to rain. Unfortunately, the gym is already being used.

Things are changing, it just takes giving kids an opportunity.

MLS kicks off tonight

2009-03-19T11:45:00.002-04:00

It's been interesting to see the growth of Major League Soccer over the years. Kicking off in 1996 with no one giving it much of a chance to succeed, MLS enters its 14th season tonight as the expansion Seattle Sounders host the New York Red Bulls.

The health and success of MLS is important to an organization like ours because it provides motivation to our kids. Ricardo Clark, who participated in a Soccer in the Streets program in Jonesboro, GA, stars for the Houston Dynamo. Macoumba Kandji, who many of our participants met while he was with the Atlanta Silverbacks, will be playing for the Red Bulls tonight. These role models inspire our kids and they are desperately needed.

Support your league, watch the game tonight on ESPN2 at 9:00 Eastern.

Negative influences on our kids

2009-03-09T13:51:00.002-04:00

Check out an article in today's USA Today that talks about the rise of drug cartels in Atlanta. These gangs are located nearby our program locations and prey on disadvantaged kids.

League kickoff

2009-03-07T18:04:00.002-05:00

The Spring season for the Streets' League in College Park got underway today with the U6, U8, U10, and U12 teams all in action. We also started our first open 7v7 pick up games with had members of our School of Life U19 team, some of our younger participants, and some parents involved.

The league has become a great source of interaction for kids in our program. We have possibly the most diverse league in the state of Georgia, both culturally and economically. The older kids get involved in helping the younger ones, as both coaches and referees. It's a great way for them to get their feet wet in some of the "off the field" career paths around the sport.

Back on the blog...

2009-02-27T10:13:00.006-05:00

We've been so busy cooking up new programming and working with the kids that we've been neglecting our blog.

To get the ball rolling again, check out this great feature in the DeKalb Neighbor.

(Thanks to Tyler Goforth for the excellent picture!)

Bye week

2008-10-06T15:56:00.002-04:00

Let me catch up on our U19 team's activities...

We lost our first game of the year, in Macon, 3-2. We really didn't play so bad, but made some key mistakes in the back that cost us goals. Overall, we dominated play and definitely played better soccer, which is always the ultimate goal for these guys. Now we're trying to improve the consistency...

If you're familiar with the gasoline issues in the South lately, it wasn't really an easy trip to make. It's sad when you have to make sure that you've found a gas station that has gas the night before you leave because you might not make it otherwise. Anyway, I stopped with the four guys in my car at a truck stop between Atlanta and Macon to grab some food after the game. One of the guys reached into his pocket and pulled out a few bucks and handed it to me. I said, "What's this for, you already paid your $5 for today?" He said, "You said you needed to get gas, I drive and I know how it goes and just wanted to help."

We had two great practices last week, but had the weekend off from the regular schedule. Sometimes, these guys drive you crazy and you just want some time off. This time, I actually missed seeing them.

"What a nice, respectful young man."

2008-09-22T21:38:00.003-04:00

That's what the case worker from DFCS (Department of Family and Children Services) said after she got off the phone with my "son." At the end of the day, no matter what his father, or grandmother, or uncle, or anyone else has to say about him, it's going to be the case worker's opinion that counts.

"He don't ever do what I tell him." "I'm goin' t' whoop his ass." "I'm goin' t' put you in boot camp." "He always lyin'." "Private school? Boy, you think you better than everyone else?" "You goin' do what I tell you."

You would think that this is the baddest kid around. Sure, he's not perfect. But in the time I've taken to get to know him, I find that there is no guile ... there is a fierce loyalty ... there is a deep, abiding respect for his mother's memory... and the vile and despicable aspersions being cast by his own flesh and blood is disgusting. While he has had to grow up fast in the past four years, he is still innocent and in need of love and support. It's distressing me to know that his most immediate family who have been entrusted with his care can not even look past a social security check and see a child.

I have enjoyed the past several months of our car rides from soccer practice spent in conversation. It is heartening to see a responsible young man emerge from a confused and bullied little boy. I have had the privilege and pleasure to watch him grow physically, mentally and emotionally.

I have pled his case and now I can only wait for the proper authorities to act in the best interest of my "son." My reward, you ask, for the time taken to look after him? Having someone, whose opinion really counts, tell me what a nice, respectful young man he is.

Rewarding

2008-09-22T17:14:00.002-04:00

The U19's won pretty handily this past weekend, 4-1. It was a strong win, with everybody on the roster contributing. Four goals, four different goalscorers, what more can you ask for?

That wasn't the best thing about the game though. One of the guys, a 16 year old, dropped out of high school last year. He's one who's been in and out of our programs in the community for years, he's really grown up in our soccer teams. When he dropped out, no one was really sure why, he wouldn't talk about it. We didn't have a team for his age group in the spring, so he wasn't always around.

Recently, he told me that he had dropped out because his mom got sick and couldn't work. I know he was working at one of the local grocery stores, and doing some construction when he could get it. He told me that she was doing better and working again, and that he might go back to school, but he wasn't sure.

On Saturday, after we had the game secured and I had pulled him out, he pulled me aside. He asked if I could help him find out how he can get back into school because he wants to go back. Now we have to figure out what to do, because his parents have to get involved...

You think that your gameday is spent making subs and changing the system of play, you don't expect to get involved with getting a kid back into school. But, that's what we do...

So many

2008-09-19T14:40:00.002-04:00

We have at least 20 kids at every practice. Not all of them are even on the roster, but they keep coming out. How do you turn them away?

The best thing is, it's not really a problem. No one disrupts the practices, the guys all work hard and push each other to get better. Now that we're 3 games into the season, they see the benefits. They're starting to understand why we do what we do. They're starting to understand that there's more to being a successful soccer team than just showing up, throwing on a jersey, and playing.

I want to see as many of these guys play on their high school (and some in middle school) teams as possible. I want to see some of them move on to play in the NPSL, PDL, USL, MLS, or abroad. More importantly, I want to see as many of them as possible go on to be happy and successful in life, whether it's on or off a soccer field.

I'm just glad to be able to share a positive activity with these kids, even if it's just for 90 minutes twice each week. It's a start, and it's definitely worth my time.

U19 Weekend Recap

2008-09-15T14:59:00.003-04:00

Two games in two days is never easy, it's even worse when's it's about 90 degrees out. Throw in some physical challenges and injuries, and I'm just glad the weekend's over. We won the Saturday game against a previously unbeaten team, then tied on Sunday when we couldn't convert the chances we were creating.

It's interesting to watch how these kids handle the pressure of these types of games. Some rise to the challenge, while some struggle with it. Some keep fighting through, others try to find excuses and blame others. That's all part of the learning process though, and something these guys will need to figure out as they move on in soccer and in life.

There were some interesting surprises, players who weren't thought of as being stalwarts of the team stepped up big time in these two games. One is a 14 year old who is playing against players up to 5 years older than him, the other is a quiet, unassuming player who has never really stood out among his peers. Both played nearly all 180 minutes over the weekend, and were huge contributors to the team's success.

The quality of the team's play was much higher this weekend than last. The development is continuing. I'm just glad we don't have any more 2-game weekends coming up...

First trip to juvenile court today

2008-09-08T22:28:00.003-04:00

I've gone to great lengths due to my involvement with kids. I've been to everything from a school play to a funeral and everything in between. (Nothing shocks you into reality until you take a few snapshot of a kid you used to coach and hand them to a mother who is burying her son that day.)

Today was sobering... a visit to make a statement to an intake officer at the juvenile court. It's now being sent as a CPS (child protective services) order to DFCS (Department of Family and Children Services) on the grounds of deprivation. It's a bold step and the first time I've become this entrenched in one particular kid's plight.

I've said before that "you can't save them all" ... yeah, right. So I spend the day yesterday typing up as many of my recollections on this particular kid as I can possible articulate (it turns into a 5-page typewritten tome) and get to the intake office as it opens around 8 a.m. this morning. I fill out the form and hand the whole thing to the officer. If we can't save them all, we'll fight like hell to save this one. And that one. And another one.

As Coach Robbins' has said, "Sometimes I just want to quit... but I can't." That is the story of my life.

First game

2008-09-08T13:10:00.002-04:00

We tied 1-1 in the first game this past weekend. A little disappointing considering we were a stronger team than we showed on the field, but it was on the road so I'll take it. As I was driving some of the kids back down to College Park, I was reminded about why this team was put together...

One of the guys was talking about the game and said, "This is the first team I've ever played on that had matching jerseys." I was confused, I knew these guys had played in the local "bootleg" leagues around town. He said that there was always 2 or 3 guys on the field that had different jerseys than the rest, because they didn't have a whole set of jerseys. He then went on to say, "This is the first real team I've ever been on."

That made things make a little more sense, especially when it comes to some of these players. I get frustrated with some of them because they play so much better in practice than in games. They don't even look like the same player. It's because they have no REAL game experience. Playing in a real game like the ones we're in are overwhelming for them and they tighten up. Hopefully, that will change real soon...

All in all, not too shabby, I guess. We started out pretty weak, but solidified things after a couple of changes. One of our more experienced players got hurt, but we were okay and it didn't bother us too much. We were able to get a goal early in the second half, but made a mistake in the back to give the other team a chance to level the score.

We have 2 games next weekend, which will be another test of the guys' commitment and focus. We'll see if they're up for it.

Opening Day tomorrow

2008-09-05T14:55:00.000-04:00

For me, it's Opening Day tomorrow for my new U19 team based out of College Park. It has been a long time coming for this group, with the majority of them working all summer to come together as a team. It hasn't been easy, but what is these days? It's a U19 team, but with players ranging from 14-18 years old. Hey, it's the best we could do, and the only way to keep all of these guys together.

For them, it's an opportunity to play in something structured, and get a taste of what could lie ahead. There's so many of them with the skill to play in any club in the city, but without the wallet size or SUV to get there. Some of these guys have actually had to drop out of school to support their families when parents have become ill. This isn't The Big Green, or Kicking and Screaming, or whatever other Hollywood interpretation of youth soccer you might think about. This is real life, right in your face.

The skill is there, but the hardest thing for these guys is the trust and commitment needed to take that next step. For some, they're satisfied being the stud of the local bootleg league, but they deserve more. That's the plan, to show them more...

I've really loved working with these kids over the summer. I'm hoping that they're getting what I get out of it. Now I can't wait to see it in a game that matters...

Affiliates

2008-09-04T22:10:00.001-04:00

Alabama

Tuskegee, AL
Dingani Nkuchwaye, Program Director
Tuskegee Futbol Youth
206 Howard Road
Tuskegee, AL 36083
Home: 334-552-0897
Work: 334-657-9459
Fax: 334-724-4821
Email: tuskegeeyouth@gmail.com

California

Hayward, CA
Paul & Pat Hodges
Hayward Unified School District
4041 Aqua Vista Court
Hayward, CA 94542
Voice: 510.889.1313
Fax: 510-889-1369
Email: phodges06@aol.com

San Francisco, CA
Scott Golde, Program Director
San Francisco Recreation and Parks
548 17 th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94121
Office: 415-753-7098
Home: 415-831-4443
Mobile: 415-994-2852
Fax: 415-753-7105
Email: scott.golde@sfgov.org

Florida

Orlando, FL
Dart McCarty
Director of Soccer Relations
Orlando Sharks
7347 Sand Lake Road, Suite 200
Orlando, FL 32819
Office: 407-403-6000
Fax: 407-403-6020
Mobile: 407-683-4546
DMcCarty@OrlandoSharks.com

Tampa, FL
Lamar Dula, Program Director
15805 Knollview Drive
Tampa, FL 33624
Home/Work: 813-483-4640
Fax: 813-961-8996
Email: LD2020@aol.com

Georgia

Atlanta, GA
Ricardo Montoya, Program Manager
Greater Atlanta Soccer in the Streets
2323 Perimeter Park Drive NE
Atlanta, GA 30341
Office/VM: 678-993-2113
Fax: 770-452-1946
Email: ricardo@soccerstreets.org
Website: http://ssl.gasoccer.org/
org/orginfo.asp?o=2152&wzb=1

Brunswick, GA
Shawn Williams, Program Director
Coastal Outreach Soccer
1425 Cate Road
Brunswick, GA 31525
Home: 912-264-6690
Work: 912-262-1855
Fax: 912-261-2269
Email: shawnwilliams246@hotmail.com

Savannah, GA
Dek Smith, Program Director
P.O. Box 61148
Savannah, GA 31420
Phone: 9129206787
Email: dek@savannahsoccer.com

Mississippi

Crystal Springs, MS
LaTanya DeLoach, Program Director
K.I.C.K.S.
3087 Taylor Grove Road
Crystal Springs, MS 39059
Home: 601-892-2952
Work: 601-720-2063

New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ
Mike Blackwell
Superintendent of Recreation
Recreation Dept. of New Brunswick
411 Joyce Kilmer Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Work: 732-745-5125 x12
Email: mblack942@aol.com
Web site: www.nbrec.com/soccer.htm

New York

Rochester, NY
Jami Dansingburg
108 South Union Street
Rochester, NY 14607
Home: 585-704-2366
Work: 585-262-3430
Fax: 585-262-3436
Email: jami@corp-com.com

North Carolina

Winston-Salem, NC
Pete Polonsky
Twin City Youth Soccer Association
3051 Trenwest Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
Home: 336-922-5607
Fax: 336-774-8988
Email: ppolonsky@aol.com

Ohio

Youngstown, OH
Joe DeMay
Director of Soccer Operations
Phoenix Soccer Club
Valley Sports Ltd.
276 State Street
Struthers, OH 44471
Office: 330-755-1661
Mobile : 330-519-9918
Fax: 330-755-1650
E-mail: VSLSoccer@aol.com

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA
George McDermott, Program Director
Success In The Streets
2823 E. Ontario Street
Philadelphia, PA 19134
Work: 215-423-3850
Fax: 215-425-7700
Email: georgemcdermott@comcast.net

South Carolina

Greenville, SC
Hiram Springle, Program Director
Unity Sports
115 Marlboro Drive
Greenville, SC 29605
Home: 864-277-4833
Email: hspringle@United-Ministries.org

Greenville, SC
Danee Frederick
City of Greenville
Recreation Division/ Youth Sports
P.O. Box 2207
Greenville, SC 29602
Phone: 864-467-8011
Fax: 864-467-6699
Email: frederd@greatergreenville.com
Website: www.greatergreenville.com

Texas

El Paso, TX
Miguel A. Lopez, Program Director
2021 Desert Sun
El Paso, TX 79938
Home: 915-855-2685
Work: 915-593-5928
Email: elpasomilo@yahoo.com

Houston, TX
Santos M. Zuniga, Program Director
607 East Heaton
Cuero, TX 77954
Phone: 361-275-8705
Email: santosw07@yahoo.com

International Affiliates

Canada
Clem Murdock
117 Lakeshore Rd. E., #162
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada L5G4T6
Home: 941-629-9473
Work: 647-444-0111
Email: footballerinc@gmail.com

Honduras
Carlos Coello, Program Director
3 Calle 9 Ave. S.O. Barrio El Benque
San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Work: 504-385-8692
Email: carcopi@hotmail.com

Why are we here?

2008-09-04T12:31:00.000-04:00

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SOCCER IN THE STREETS KID

Imagine living a life in which a couple of these scenarios were true…

You lose your mother before the age of 13
Your father can't hold down a job and regularly abuses alcohol
Your family loses everything in a house fire
You get injured by a stray bullet in the crossfire of a gang war
Your immediate environment promotes a gangster lifestyle, not education

What if ALL of these applied to you? How would you cope?

Darnell did what he does best…play soccer. He was recruited to play with one of the elite clubs in the area. He’s driven almost 40 miles one-way for practice twice a week. He’s become an anchor for his team—a key player.

One of his peers shared this insight about Darnell with their coach:

HE’S GOING TO DO SOMETHING BIG, COACH…I MEAN IF SOMEONE OR SOMETHING IS TRYING SO HARD TO KEEP HIM DOWN, THEN HE’S GOING TO DO SOMETHING BIG.

In spite of the travel and commitment—or perhaps because of it—an amazing change has happed… Darnell began the new school year more focused and is performing better than he EVER has. He actually enjoys school now! He has earned the respect and admiration of his peers.

And you see, he’s not just coping anymore. HE’S THRIVING.

And it all started with a ball.

If Darnell has his way, one day…
…you’ll see him in college
…you’ll watch him play in Major League Soccer

For now though, you’ll see him playing and officiating the game that he loves, the game that has given him hope, the game that is preparing him to do something “big.”

If anyone tries to tell you that Soccer In The Streets can’t make a difference, tell them about Darnell, a kid who has ALL the odds stacked against him.

Atlanta program locations

2008-05-30T12:56:00.004-04:00

View Program Sites in a larger map

Supporters

2008-05-30T11:49:00.000-04:00

US Soccer Foundation
Urban Soccer Collaborative
streetfootballworld
FIFA Football for Hope Movement
GoGirlGo! Atlanta
Fulton County Human Services
Atlanta Silverbacks Foundation
Atlanta FC

How to Volunteer

2008-05-30T11:35:00.000-04:00

Attend one of our Orientation sessions on the first Monday of every month to learn more about Soccer in the Streets and how you can get involved. The sessions are held at our office, located at:

2323 Perimeter Park Drive
Atlanta, GA 30341

Please RSVP to Jason Longshore at jason@soccerstreets.org.

Programs

2008-05-30T11:13:00.000-04:00