Press Releases and News

CAPCS Field Opening

Media Contact
Meredith McClure, U.S. Soccer Foundation, mmcclure@ussoccerfoundation.org, 202.872.6662

Washington, D.C. – Thanks to donations from the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Sport Court®, and the Urban Soccer Initiative, the children at the Rand Campus of the Dorothy I. Height Community Academy Public Charter Schools (CAPCS) in NE Washington, D.C. have a new soccer field to play on. The revamped recreation area also includes two basketball courts.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation, the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the U.S., is hosting a grand opening ceremony at the field followed by a free soccer clinic run by United Soccer Club on September 16, 2010, for over 130 children from the school. Each child will receive a healthy snack from Sunsweet Growers and an interactive booklet provided by LazyTown that offers educational information about fruits and vegetables.

Rand is one of six CAPCS campuses in the city, serving children in pre-school through 8th grade. The school is located in an economically disadvantaged area that offers very few organized after-school recreational opportunities for children.

The field opening is part of the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s work to raise public awareness for National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month by hosting events throughout September that use soccer to engage children in healthy activities and showcase the important role organized, grassroots youth sports programs can play in the fight against childhood obesity. Since its inception, the U.S. Soccer Foundation has supported the development of over 1,100 fields and impacted over 4.9 million players across the U.S.

“We believe that all children should have easy and affordable access to well-designed sports-based youth development programs and safe places to play in their neighborhoods,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President and CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “By supporting the development of safe playing fields like the one at the Rand campus in Washington, D.C. – we can ensure that our children have opportunities to play, stay active and live healthy lives. ”

“This soccer/basketball complex is a wonderful addition to the Rand campus,” said CAPCS Founder Kent Amos. “Our students are very excited about the opportunities it offers and we are grateful to the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Sport Court and the Urban Soccer Initiative for their generous support. More of our students will learn to play soccer, it will promote the growth of urban soccer activities and it will help us re-emphasize the importance of good nutrition and regular physical exercise as essential to health and development.”

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010 from 2 pm to 4 pm

WHERE: CAPCS Rand Campus, 33 Riggs Rd. NE, Washington, DC 20011

CONTACT: Meredith McClure, U.S. Soccer Foundation, 202-872-6662 or mmcclure@ussoccerfoundation.org

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About the U.S. Soccer Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation is the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the United States. Established in 1994, the U.S. Soccer Foundation has invested more than $51 million, supporting hundreds of projects in every state. The U.S. Soccer Foundation supports programs and field building projects that provide low-income and at-risk youth in urban communities with soccer programs that promote education, healthy lifestyles, leadership and positive alternatives to drugs, crime and other at-risk behaviors. For more information, or to donate online, please visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org/donate.

For more information about the Dorothy I. Height Community Academy Public Charter Schools (CAPCS) visit www.capcs.org.

About Connor Sport Court International
More athletic events are played on Connor Sport Court surfaces than on any other sports flooring in the world. Connor sports floors have established themselves as the standard for professional and collegiate sports since the company was founded in 1872. Sport Court® is a registered trade mark of Connor Sport Court International. Since 1974, it has identified the original and authentic modular sport surface, continuously improved and patented to provide the highest levels of quality and performance. Connor Sport Court is proud to be the only sports surfacing company in the world that is independently audited and verified as “Zero Waste” and fully ISO 9001:2008 certified. sportcourt.com

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.