Washington, D.C., October 15, 2013 – The U.S. Soccer Foundation, the major charitable arm of soccer in the United States, has launched its fall season of Soccer for Success. Through a network of 27 community- based partners and organizations, the program will serve approximately 18,000 children during the 2013-2014 program year.
Soccer for Success, the Foundation’s free, afterschool, youth development program, uses soccer as a tool to combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles for children in underserved communities across the country. This nationally recognized program pairs soccer instruction with nutrition education and provides participants with caring mentors and a safe place to play – all while delivering proven results. As suggested by a recent nutrition and youth development survey, participants in Soccer for Success showed a statistically significant improvement in nutritional knowledge and healthy eating habits. In addition, upon completion of the program:
- 89% of participants who were categorized at the beginning of the program as overweight or obese improved or maintained their BMI percentile
- 86% of participants who were categorized at the beginning of the program as overweight or obese improved or maintained their aerobic capacity
- 69% of participants who were categorized at the beginning of the program as overweight or obese decreased or maintained their waist circumference
The Foundation, which was recently awarded $2.6 million in continuation funding under the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Social Innovation Fund, is expanding the Soccer for Success program for the 4th program year in a row. In the 2012-2013 program year, Soccer for Success served approximately 16,000 children in 20 cities nationwide. This program year, Soccer for Success is expected to serve an additional 2,000 children and will add Boston, MA, Kansas City, MO, Milwaukee,WI, the San Francisco Bay Area, St. Paul, MN and Woodbridge, VA to its list of participating cities.
“We are very excited to kick off another season of Soccer for Success and we are thrilled to welcome six additional cities to our program,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “The Foundation is committed to using soccer as a vehicle for positive social change and the continued growth and expansion of Soccer for Success ensures that more children have the opportunity to lead healthy, active lives.”
To learn more about Soccer for Success, please visit ussoccerfoundation.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 $59 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 www.ussoccerfoundation.org to learn more.
Editor Note: For your understanding, we are a separate entity from USSF/US/U.S. Soccer. When referring to the U.S. Soccer Foundation, please refer to it by its proper name.
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