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June 2015 Newsletter

IN THE KNOW: JUNE 2015

It’s been a busy month so far – a World Cup Watch Party, the release of our ground-breaking study, new grantees announced, and more! Check it out!

2015 Women’s World Cup Watch Party

On June 8th, we joined the Embassy of Australia in hosting a public watch party at CityCenterDC for the USA vs. Australia match of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The event celebrated the Women’s World Cup and the positive impact of women in sports on young girls. An exciting game, combined with some dramatic weather, kept the audience at the edge of their seats. The U.S. Women’s National Team came away with a 3-1 win! Donations and proceeds from the event helped us provide children in underserved communities with life-changing programming. To see scenes from the party, browse our photo album!

Soccer for Success – An Innovative Solution

Earlier this month, we proudly announced the results of a year-long evaluation of our Soccer for Success program. Based upon work supported by the Social Innovation Fund, the study found that children enrolled in Soccer for Success experience statistically significantly greater health improvements in several categories in comparison to children enrolled in other similar after school programs. Such results call for the expansion of Soccer for Success as a powerful tool in combating childhood obesity.

“With this impact study, the U.S. Soccer Foundation has identified an innovative solution of using soccer to address a growing public health issue among youth and provides the evidence and impact behind its success.” – Lois Nembhard, Acting Director of the Social Innovation Fund Dig into the evaluation brief to learn how Soccer for Success makes a true difference.

Sports: A Game-Changer for Young Girls

Leadership, confidence, and discipline: these were some of the themes that came up on Tuesday, June 16th, when we joined Women’s Policy Inc. on Capitol Hill to talk about the powerful influence sport can have on young girls. The event, made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, featured a Soccer for Success coach-mentor from LA, local Soccer for Success participant from DC SCORES, U.S. Women’s National Team and Washington Spirit player Crystal Dunn and members of Congress, among others. Each speaker offered a unique perspective and inspiring personal story about how sport changed her life.

Change a Life

Your donation helps provide a child with soccer gear, an inspiring coach-mentor, and a safe place to play, learn, and grow.

The Symposium Turns 10!

Mark your calendar for the 10th annual Urban Soccer Symposium! Join hundreds of urban soccer programmers and speakers from across the country for an inspiring and invigorating conference on sport for youth development. Stay tuned for more details!

Nearly $450,000 Granted to Sport for Social Change Organizations

We recently awarded 12 grants totaling nearly $450,000 to non-profit organizations across the country to benefit youth development. The awards support both sports-based youth development programming and the transformation of play spaces in underserved communities nationwide. Learn more and see the full list of grant recipients.

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OUR PARTNERS

adidas
adidas, the Foundation’s Safe Places to Play – Mini-Pitch Partner, supports providing children in underserved communities with safe play spaces nationwide. adidas strives to be the globally leading and most popular sporting goods brand. Dedicated to innovation, adidas embraces creativity and seeks to be socially responsible in all facets of its brand. For more information, please visit adidas.com.
CHA
CHA Sports, the Foundation’s Supplier for Soccer Facility Design and Planning Services, provides community partners with expertise in soccer facility design. CHA Sport’s full service approach allows the company to build world-class projects without breaking budgets. For more information, please visit chacompanies.com.
The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation
DICK’S Sporting Goods and The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation believe that participation in sports makes people better. Since 2014, DICK’S and The DICK’S Foundation have pledged more than $100 million to support youth sports teams and leagues in need. Through our Sports Matter initiative we strive to increase awareness for underfunded youth athletics nationwide and provide much-needed support through equipment, uniform and monetary donations. For more information on Sports Matter, visit SportsMatter.org.
Kwik Goal
Kwik Goal, the Foundation’s Official Supplier for goals, seating, boundary equipment, training equipment and coaching accessories, will be supporting a variety of Foundation programs and initiatives including: Soccer for Success, National Training and the Safe Places to Play program. Over thirty years ago, Kwik Goal was founded on the revolutionary concept of providing transportable goals for coaches at all age levels. Since that time, Kwik Goal has continued to focus on helping coaches and soccer programs create safe and dynamic learning environments by supplying high quality, safety tested soccer goals, field equipment and training equipment to the domestic and international market. For more information, please visit Kwikgoal.com.
MLS WORKS
MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative, is dedicated to addressing important social issues and serves as a platform for both League and club philanthropic programs. MLS WORKS seeks to establish Major League Soccer as a leader for improving the lives of people through sport. MLS WORKS is committed to improving the communities where we live and play our games by executing national programs and legacy projects, charitable giving campaigns, and undertaking various initiatives in underserved communities.
Musco
As a proud corporate partner of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Musco is dedicated to helping the major charitable arm of American soccer create new opportunities through high-quality sports lighting. Their Total Light Control—TLC for LED™ technology is engineered as a system with lighting, structural, and electrical components designed to work together for streamlined installation and long-term reliability. TLC for LED delivers superior field lighting while eliminating glare and spill from impacting surrounding neighborhoods. And Musco’s long-term warranty covering parts and labor means U.S. Soccer Foundation partners don’t have to handle any maintenance on their system, or pay for it, for 25 years. Visit https://ussoccerfoundation.org/grants/ to learn more about the grant program and application process.
SCORE Sports
SCORE Sports, the preferred provider of shin guards to the Foundation’s Soccer for Success program, is a family-owned and operated business specializing in sports equipment, uniforms and apparel. SCORE is an industry leader and has been involved in the sports community for over 40 years. SCORE outfits athletes with high-quality uniforms that SCORE develops, designs and manufactures in the U.S. SCORE takes pride in working with various non-profit groups and causes to give back to athletes who may need some extra support to play the game they love. SCORE is environmentally cautious with the materials it uses for its products and does its part in minimizing our environmental footprint. SCORE proudly offers a wide variety of products to provide customers with a one-stop shop for all your soccer needs. For more information, please visit scoresports.com.
Soccer.com
Soccer.com, the Foundation’s National Partner for Soccer Equipment and Uniforms, was founded in 1984 to provide high quality soccer gear at reasonable prices through its nationally circulated catalog. Soccer.com embodies a passion for the game that extends to the people who play, coach and support soccer. For more information, please visit soccer.com.
Target
Target announced a national partnership with Safe Places to Play in 2017, along with a $6 million commitment to build 100 new soccer play spaces with the U.S. Soccer Foundation by 2020. This is the latest initiative in the Minneapolis-based retailer’s multi-dimensional approach to the sport of soccer, bringing the game to more kids and families across the country, and unlocking access and increasing involvement at all levels.
TGI Worldwide
TGI Worldwide, the Foundation’s National Partner for Visual Branding (Signage, Event Décor, Pageantry, Sponsorship Activation), Perimeter Field Board Systems, Creative Services and Event Operations is proud to support a variety of initiatives and programs throughout the United States. Headquartered in the U.S., TGI is an internationally recognized sports marketing company delivering high profile Visual Branding, Live Event Management, LED, and cutting edge Digital Sports Applications to enrich the experience at major events and deliver commercial impact for sponsors and partners. The company has a 20-year history in providing its various solutions for many top-tier domestic and international events, organizations, teams and companies, with proven success and turn-key solutions across 1000+ events, 160+ cities and 50+ countries globally.
For more information on our services, please visit https://www.worldwidetgi.com or contact Mike Squire at msquire@worldwidetgi.com / Phone: 312-371-5852.
World Soccer Shop
Launched in 2001, World Soccer Shop is an online soccer retailer based in Birmingham, Alabama. It carries one of the world’s widest selections of officially-licensed products from the sport’s top brands and teams. World Soccer Shop is passionate about soccer and endeavors to spread the beautiful game around the world, especially to those in areas of need. For more information, please visit www.worldsoccershop.com.