Press Releases and News

3RD ANNUAL CAPITAL SOCCER CLASSIC HOSTED BY THE U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION

WHAT:
The U.S. Soccer Foundation, the major charitable arm of soccer in the United States will host the third annual Capital Soccer Classic on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The premier soccer event, presented by NIKE, will kick off with a round robin tournament of embassies, followed by a Congressional soccer match and tournament for Capitol Hill staffers.

The Classic, a free all-ages event with activities and refreshments for adults and children, will benefit Soccer for Success – the Foundation’s free afterschool program that uses soccer as a tool to address children’s health issues and juvenile delinquency, while promoting healthy lifestyles in underserved communities. Former U.S. National Team members, as well as current D.C. United and Washington Spirit players will be onsite signing autographs and taking fan photos.

WHO:
Members of Congress and the Congressional Soccer Caucus, representatives from several embassies, former U.S. National Team players, and speakers/partners/sponsors of the Classic, including:

Embassies: Argentina, Australia, China, European Union, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, and the U.S. State Department
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (Oregon)
Rep. Kathy Castor (Florida)
Rep. Mike Coffman (Colorado)
Rep. Trey Gowdy (South Carolina)
Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (New Hampshire)
Rep. Erik Paulsen (Minnesota)
Rep. Dave Reichert (Washington)
Senator Tim Scott (South Carolina)
Rep. Eric Swalwell (California)
Rep. Todd Young (Indiana)
Cindy (Parlow) Cone – Two-time Olympic gold medalist, member of the 1999 World Cup champion U.S. Women’s National Team
Andrew Dykstra – Current player with D.C. United, named USL Goalkeeper of the year in 2013
Cobi Jones – Former member of the U.S. Men’s National Team, member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, all-time leader in appearances with the USMNT (Tentatively available for in-studio media on 4/14)
Lori Lindsey – Former member of the U.S. Women’s National Team, Olympian, and former member of the Washington Spirit (Tentatively available for in-studio media on 4/14)
Ben Olsen – Current head coach of D.C. United, 211 appearances as a player with D.C. United
Eddie Johnson (Announcer) – Former member of the U.S. Men’s National Team and former member of FC Sounder, Seattle Sounders FC and D.C. United
Sebastian Salazar (Announcer) – Reporter/Anchor/Host for Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic
Partners/Sponsors: Nike – The Official Sponsor of the Capital Soccer Classic; The Hill – The Official Print Media Partner of the Capital Soccer Classic; WAMU 88.5 – The Official Radio Partner of the Capital Soccer Classic; Volkswagen; Amazon; Oracle; PepsiCo; Allstate; NBCUniversal – Comcast; Congressional Federal; Continental; and Johnson & Johnson

WHEN:
Tuesday, April 14, 2015 │5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m. – Embassy Tournament featuring representatives from different countries all over the globe
6:30 p.m. – Congressional Soccer Match
7:30 p.m. – Congressional Staffer Tournament

**MEDIA: Media interested in attending the 2015 Capital Soccer Classic or interviewing selected athletes in-studio may contact Eleanor Arlook
at Eleanor@MaroonPR.com or 443-979-3899.

WHERE:
RFK Stadium, 2400 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003

COST:
The Classic is free and open to the public.

WEBSITE:
For additional information on the Classic, please visit capitalsoccerclassic.org

About the U.S. Soccer Foundation

The U.S. Soccer Foundation is a recognized leader in sports-based youth development programs for children in underserved, urban communities. Since its founding in 1994, the organization has provided more than $100 million in funding to create and sustain innovative programs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Proven to deliver positive health and social outcomes, the Foundation’s affordable initiatives offer safe environments in which both boys and girls thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Visit http://www.ussoccerfoundation.org to learn more.

CONTACT:

Krista Washington
U.S. Soccer Foundation
Kwashington@ussoccerfoundation.org
202-872-6662

Eleanor Arlook
Maroon PR
Eleanor@MaroonPR.com
443-979-3899

Courtney Gaddi
Maroon PR
Courtney@MaroonPR.com
410-992-2290

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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.