On a hazy Houston evening, Shaina and I were pummeled with soccer balls. You read that right. During a Soccer for Success scrimmage, we had the bright idea to stand next to an energetic bunch of 6th - 8th graders during a scrimmage. In fact, we stood...
The Power of Mentorship
When I joined the U.S. Soccer Foundation staff, and more specifically the Programs team supporting Soccer for Success, I knew I walked into both a huge opportunity and a tremendous challenge. One of the main components of my job is training our Soccer...
Training of the Trainers
What a busy time at the Foundation! Recently, the Programs team shipped out to Denver,Colorado for our 2nd annual “Training of the Trainers” event in anticipation of the upcoming Fall season of Soccer for Success. Finally over the jetlag and altitude, ...
A Look Back: Spring 2013 Season of Soccer for Success

As the spring season of Soccer for Success comes to a close, we wanted to take a minute to highlight the wonderful participants, coaches and organizations that made this season great. We look forward to next season and wish everyone a safe and happy su...
Another Safe Place to Play Created

It’s hard to tell who had the most fun at the Fletcher-Johnson field opening in southeast D.C. last month – the adults or the kids. We joined Mayor Vincent Gray as well as representatives from DC SCORES, KIPP DC and United for DC for the grand openin...
The Foundation Visits the White House!
Is it May already? We’ve been so busy getting ready for the Capital Soccer Classic and the 2013 Urban Soccer Symposium that we almost forgot to mention that we went to the White House! As part of the LA Galaxy’s visit with President Obama, we were a...
The Role of the Coach in Youth Sports
According to recent studies, about 35 million children between the ages of 5-18 participate in organized sports. While playing sports is beneficial for children in terms of physical activity and learning new skills, one great benefit of participation ...
The Beautiful Game

As the newest member of the Foundation team, I’m often asked why I am attracted to this kind of work or why I’m so passionate about using soccer as a vehicle for social change. I could point to hundreds of studies on youth development or rattle off a d...
My Inspiration: The Urban Soccer Symposium
When I started the journey of planning the 2013 Urban Soccer Symposium, I was determined to make it the best Symposium yet. Every year, our goal is to ensure that the Symposium outdoes its predecessor. Not just in the competitive spirit, but in the spi...
Goal.com Interview with Ed Foster-Simeon
Goal.com recently interviewed our President and CEO, Ed Foster-Simeon, about the Foundation and some of the challenges we’re tackling: Goal.com: You recently ran a social media contest inviting people to submit photos of fields they wished to develop ...
