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SOCCER IN THE STREETS Newsletter -
Fall 2004
"All my successes are accredited to me having faith in my ability and that someone believed in me." - Marcus Potts , Age 17
In this issue, read more about:
SOCCER IN THE STREETS KICKS OFF THE "KICK OFF CLUB"
Soccer in the Streets sets hopes high in annual fundraising campaign
FOCUS ON YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT: SOCCER IN THE STREETS "ALUM" IS NUMBER ONE IN CLASS
High school senior ranks at the top in school and soccer
SOCCER IN THE STREETS WELCOMES NEW STAFF
New program manager and interns join the team
NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
Soccer in the Streets affiliates share their stories
A SPECIAL THANKS TO EXISTING BOARD MEMBERS; REQUEST FOR NEW BOARD MEMBER NOMINATIONS
Technical assistance grant propels Soccer in the Streets toward goals
HAPPINES IS A GOLDEN VOLUNTEER
Much success of a nonprofit can be attributed to high quality, loyal volunteers . like you!
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All ages, all sizes benefit from Soccer In The Streets |
SOCCER IN THE STREETS KICKS OFF FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
Soccer in the Streets invites you to join our growing team by supporting our campaign. Since 1989, Soccer in the Streets has helped more than 100,000 kids expand their horizon by teaching them teamwork, respect and academic values. Through programs like Positive-Choice Soccer, Soccer in the Streets' staff and volunteers focus on physical, cultural and educational activities to help inner city children steer clear of drug usage, crime, and other unhealthy behaviors. Soccer in the Streets offers a diverse lineup of programs that are geared toward specific ages and abilities. One of our ground breaking programs even builds an all weather soccer facility in the heart of needy communities so the kids have some where to play.
As a growing, nationwide nonprofit organization, Soccer in the Streets' success depends on donations to help children grow into better citizens, students and soccer players. Donations of any amount are welcome. Here are some ways your tax-deductible contribution will positively affect the program:
- $10 provides a soccer ball to a child
- $25 furnishes a uniform
- $50 pays for a Positive Choice "homework" pack
- $100 covers a team celebration
- $365 adopts a player for an entire year
- $1,000 pays for a set of goals for a neighborhood facility
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Pledge your support off the field to help the kids on the field. |
Our kids achieve great things every day but for every kid we are able to help there are a 1,000 we have to pass by. Please let us reach the ones who need it - there's a Soccer in the Streets community close to you that you can support today. Take a moment now to help us kick drugs and crime out of another kid's life.
JOIN OUR TEAM! The Soccer In The Streets ' "KICK OFF CLUB" offers the following giving levels:
- Spectator $1 - 99
- Supporter $100 - 499
- Coach $500 - 999
- Defender $1,000 - 4,999
- Striker $5,000 - 9,999
- Most Valuable Player $10,000+
You can donate online at http://www.soccerstreets.org/how_can_i/donation.html
focus on youth achievement: Soccer in the streets "alum" is number one in class
Name: Marcus L. Potts
Age: 17
Birthplace: Atlanta , GA
School / Grade: Mundy's Mill High / 12th
Soccer Team(s): AFC Lightning soccer team, and high school soccer team
Accomplishments (soccer, academic, community, etc.): U-15 Tampa Bay Sunbowl Champs.; U-15 State Champs.; ODP State Pool; U-16 semifinalist; Student of the year for math and history in 11th. Ranked 1st in class. Who's Who Among American High School Students for 3 years; National Honor Society for High School Students; In marching band, three clubs, and two sports.
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Marcus Potts of Jonesboro , GA |
What do you consider your strengths? Music and math are my strengths at school and soccer is definitely my strongest sport. As a young student, I was on the math team and my test scores for math were in the 99 percentile. I've been one of the outstanding musicians in every band that I am in.
What is your best / most notable soccer experience? Winning the state cup at U-15 was my most notable experience because it was our first state cup win. Up to that point, we worked very hard during training and focused what our goal was because in the previous years we always fell short of our goal. The title released energy for the team which we held for our victory in the U-15 Tampa Bay Sunbowl.
How has soccer helped you? It has made me stand out among fellow students and peers when I apply to college. Soccer has taught me discipline, and that you cannot win it all. In addition, it has taught me to work hard for success. Physically speaking, it has kept me healthy.
How did you get started? At the age of eleven my father noticed I liked soccer but did not play on a team. As a result, he, along with my brother, became a "Soccer in the Streets" coach to coach me. I played for Soccer in the Streets for awhile but later transferred to Glory, a team in Lovejoy. I played for Glory for a few years and was later transferred to AFC Lightning which is my current club affiliation. From what I understand, my current coach, Stevie Muccillo noticed me on Glory. This led me to guest play with the team in a tournament before tryouts. After that I tried out for the team and made it.
What advice do you have for others? My advice to others is to stick with the sport you love because the successes surmount the negative stuff. When you perform in your sport, work hard.
What are your goals in life? My goals include going to an Ivy League school and ma j oring in math and or music. Before I begin my career, I desire to play professionally in the MLS. Afterwards, I would like to pursue either a career in music performance, pure mathematics, or law.
Any other comments? All my successes are accredited to me having faith in my ability and that someone believed in me.
SOCCER IN THE STREETS WELCOMES NEW STAFF
New program manager and interns join the team
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Ricardo is hard at work and bothered by having to stop to take a picture. |
Soccer in the Streets' staff recently expanded to better serve the community. Four new team members bring fresh ideas and diverse experience to bolster Soccer in the Streets' success in bringing the Urban Soccer Model to inner-city children.
Ricardo Montoya recently filled the position of Program Manager. He oversees program services and volunteers and manages program-related activities, including working with current sites in the Atlanta area, cultivating new program sites, encouraging parent and community involvement, and assisting affiliates from other cities with marketing, fundraising, evaluation and assessment, and partnership development. Ricardo is a native of Costa Rica and began playing soccer at age 6, making his way up to the professional level. He was awarded a full college soccer scholarship and now holds a degree in Business Management from Life University , as well as a US Soccer Federation B coaching license. One of his favorite aspects of Soccer in the Streets is working with children and knowing that he makes a positive impact on their lives while cultivating talented athletes.
Atlanta native Lewis Lease earned a BA in sociology from the University of Colorado and joined the Soccer in the Streets team of interns. His past experience includes working at a shelter for runaway teens, at a residential treatment center for emotionally disturbed children, and as a child protection/teen parent caseworker for the Denver Department of Human Services. He practices Capoeira, a Brazilian folkloric art that combines elements of martial arts and dancing, and lived in Brazil to study the art in its native environment. Lewis will graduate from Georgia State's Graduate School of Social Work in May 2005 with a master's degree in Social Work with an emphasis on Community Partnerships. Last year he interned with Grady Health System's Community Outreach Services. He's excited about working with Soccer in the Streets because he believes that after school sports and education programs are critical factors in supporting children's success at home, in school and in their communities. In addition to interning at Soccer in the Streets, he teaches Capoeira classes and organizes gallery shows of his photography.
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The interns: Victoria, Lewis and Danee |
Danee Kosins joined the team as an intern in charge of implementing the Thomasville Heights Positive-Choice Soccer Program as well as managing and coordinating volunteers. She holds a BBA in Accounting from Georgia State University and will graduate in December of this year with a master's degree in Sports Administration from Georgia State. She enjoys working with Soccer in the Streets and witnessing the program making a positive impact on the lives of children. Danee lives in Canton and when she's not playing soccer, she enjoys swimming and horseback riding.
Victoria Stopp is the newest member of the Soccer in the Streets team. She's a marketing intern and will help expand the Soccer in the Streets Website, compile the newsletter and assist with various writing-related tasks. Victoria earned a BA in English Literature/Creative Writing from Agnes Scott College in 2001 and will graduate from Goucher College with a master of fine arts degree in 2005. She completed a year of service with AmeriCorps and is a freelance writer for various publications and Websites. She previously worked as a fulltime staff writer for a local newspaper. She is excited about combining writing and soccer and hopes to aid in the promotion of the Urban Soccer Model. Victoria lives in Stone Mountain and enjoys soccer, running and playing with her dogs and rabbits.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
Soccer in the Streets affiliates share their stories
Brooklyn , NY
From Bob Byer: The Ft. Greene Soccer Club, of Brooklyn , New York City has recently joined the Soccer In The Streets family. Directed by Bob Byer, the two year old organization has seen a remarkable boost in registration. "I think that by telling parents that we are incorporating the Positive-Choice Soccer Program this year lets them know that we are creating healthy and positive citizens for the future," said Byer.
Bob was a former sales executive with the NY-NJ MetroStars of Major League Soccer. "I came across Soccer In The Streets while doing my homework, hitting the streets of New York City , meeting with every youth organization in every municipal park. I liked the mission of Soccer In The Streets and remembered them when I created this organization," said Byer. Byer joined the MetroStars in their inaugural season (1996) and continued to be a Soccer In The Streets supporter until he left the club in 2000. "I remember making long-distance calls to several staff members, when they began developing the Positive-Choice principles. Being raised in the Bronx and Brooklyn , I knew that this program was necessary in youth development," he said.
Ft. Greene , like other inner city neighborhoods, is beset by many issues. "We are a story of the haves and have nots," said Byer. "Despite ongoing gentrification of the area, Ft. Greene has the highest rates of childbirth deaths and asthma in New York City , if not the state. There is still gang activity here and in nearby Bedford-Stuyvesant, Prospect Heights and Bushwick. So with that reality, we must get our children to start respecting themselves and each other," he said.
"Coach Bob," as he is affectionately called, continues, "When I worked for the City Parks Department as a soccer instructor, I found the children were constantly at each other for the silliest things. Some were acting out of frustrations at home or school, some just trying to prove their toughness." Exhausting drills and temporary suspensions kept some in check, but Byer wanted his students to understand why what they were doing was unsociable. "Sometimes you have to get their mindsets going in the right direction, and Positive-Choice gives our staff a foundation to teach positive attributes on the field and off," said Byer.
The Ft. Greene coaching staff is made up of residents of the neighborhood. They start the day by talking to the children about the "Word of the Day," before they begin stretching. "It is so easy to get them to focus on the life skills part, using soccer drills. We are trying to re-create this in the other sports we do throughout the year," said Byer.
Ft. Greene has also received acceptance into the Reading Is Fundamental Program. "Our public schools are in trouble, children are no longer being promoted to the next grade, unless they can pass state-mandatory tests at 3rd and 5th grade. As a father of two, this is so important to parents that they are ecstatic and I am overjoyed to know that our program can provide support," Byer concludes.
You can reach Bob Byer at ftgreenesoccer@aol.com with your suggestions, blessings and support.
San Diego , CA
From Ricky Franchi: It seems most families are involved with soccer these days. To someone like Helena Jayasuriya , it elicits a sadness to think her 11-year-old nephew cannot experience soccer as a player on the field, but only as a spectator in a wheelchair.
That's because he has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy - a progressive genetic disorder that causes muscles to weaken. Although there are over 20 genetic disorders collectively known as Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne is the most common and affects only boys. Typically, boys are diagnosed at age 6 and lose the ability to walk at age 11. By early teens these boys need to use a wheelchair to get around. There is no cure for this disorder - only hope and advocates like Jayasuriya and an organization called Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, which seeks a cure for this debilitating disease.
For the first time, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy is hosting its first annual Soccer Tournament and Festival, "Kick for a Cure" in San Diego. It comes as no surprise that Jayasuriya and her dedicated group of friends and family are spearheading this event.
"Kick for a Cure" is scheduled June 11-12, 2005 at Westview High School . It will feature a "6 on 6" soccer tournament, where over 150 teams are expected to play within their age and divisional brackets. California Soccer League, a Soccer In The Streets affiliate, is the official tournament organizer for "Kick for a Cure" and Ricardo Franchi, League President, is happy to support the cause. His young cousin also has Duchenne. In fact, it was Franchi who first generated the idea of a charity soccer tournament when he heard about Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy's mission to raise awareness and funds for Duchenne. Together Franchi and Jayasuriya are creating what they hope to be an annual phenomenon that will draw teams from all over San Diego and beyond.
Off the field, a festive Vendor Village will showcase local merchants, artists, and restaurants. There will be live music, silent auctions, and entertainment for all the family. All fees are a 100% tax-deductible charitable contribution. To date Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy is the only organization that is entirely focused on Duchenne and the only one that coordinates a global effort to find a cure.
Westview's administrators are very enthusiastic to spotlight their school as the magnet for this event. Jayasuriya and the planning committee give special thanks to the school's Assistant Principals, Robin Rohnson, herself a soccer player, Todd Kassen, and Mike Dodson as well as to Mike Tarantino who heads the Facilities Department for Poway Schools. All have been "more than encouraging, and have even given us some very helpful ideas." Jerry Leininger, the Principal of Westview "welcomed the opportunity" for Westview to be "Kick for a Cure's" first "home," and "showed great support" for this worthy community event.
The Event Planning Committee is looking for players, vendors, sponsors, and volunteers to make this June summertime event a success. For more information visit www.kickforacure.org, or contact Helena at 858.775.7057 or email at Helena@kickforacure.org.
Tuskegee , AL
From Dingnani Nkuchwayo: Joining TFYI has allotted our children the opportunity to grow beyond the boundaries of Tuskegee, AL . We have played matches in Montgomery, AL , and they are determined and cooperative.
One highlight of this season has been the improvement of the cooperation of the youth. We played a U10 ladies match with two players down. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. Afterward they pooled their own funds in order to have pizza. We used our dollars to get one pizza and share.
TFYI has also established an affiliation with Zimbabwe Learn and Play Program (ZimLap) with a current total of 10,000 youth members to learn basic fundamentals of computers and play soccer in Zimbabwe, Africa. TFYI has also interested other organizations in Africa (Burundi, Swaziland, Lesotho, etc.) and the islands such as Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Guadeloupe, etc., to want to be involved.
Outside of learning the fundamentals of soccer and community service, our program offers after-school tutoring. Each child is required to complete their homework and spend one hour in tutoring, which is followed by their enrichment for the day. Enrichment ranges from physical education, spiritual enlightenment, life lessons (on peer pressure, violence, drug abuse and more) and volunteering.
Hayward , CA
From Pat Hodges: In June, we successfully completed our 3rd season of Soccer in the Schools, a Spring soccer program in the Elementary/Middle Schools in Hayward . We had 15 schools participating with a girls team from each school. There were approximately 300 girls that participated. About half of these girls don't play club/league soccer in the fall because their parents can't afford the fees. This is their only chance to play.
We want to thank the GoGirlGo program for their support. Without it these girls would not have the experience of playing on a 'team'.
Greenville , SC
From Hiram Springle : We will be hosting our 11th Annual Martin Luther King Soccer fun day on Monday January 17, 2005 . The day will start with a full breakfast at 9:00 A.M. A program will follow at 10:00 A.M. Small sided games will be played after the program is concluded. After the games we will serve lunch and have our closing ceremony. We would like to issue an invitation to any of your teams/affiliates that would like to come. If we have enough interest from non-local teams who want to come up early, we will see if we can get rooms at a discount. Any questions can be e-mailed to springlehj@aol.com or I can be contacted at 864-277-4833.
We're waiting to hear some news from YOU . Soccer In The Streets supports the efforts of affiliates and even like-minded individuals promoting programs for the benefit of less advantaged kids using the sport of soccer. If you have any information, news or stories that you'd like to share with our supporters and friends, be sure to send it to us at info@soccerstreets.org . We look forward to hearing from you soon!
A SPECIAL THANKS TO EXISTING BOARD MEMBERS; REQUEST FOR NEW BOARD MEMBER NOMINATIONS
Soccer in the Streets recently received a technical assistance grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta to strengthen our board and begin planning a fundraising strategy. The plan includes both our staff and board taking a more active stance with fundraising, visibility and image-building in the community. Our first step is to develop our board. We're looking for a balanced board of people who care about children and soccer and also have professional skills beneficial to our organization, such as attorneys, business and community leaders, CPAs, public relations and media specialists, and sports professionals. Please contact Jill Robbins, Executive Director, at 678-993-2113 if you're interested or know someone who is interested in serving on the board.
Board responsibilities include selecting the executive, supporting the executive and reviewing her performance, ensuring effective organizational planning, ensuring adequate resources, ensuring successful board management, managing resources effectively, determining and monitoring the organization's programs and services, enhancing public image, serving as a court of appeal, assessing its own performance
Soccer in the Streets would like to extend our thanks to the members of our board. The board members have dedicated their invaluable time and resources to furthering the mission of Soccer In The Streets . The members are as follows: Phil Hill , Chairperson; Clay Berling, Soccer America ; Marilyn Childress, Women's Intersport Network; Boris Jerkunica , Atlanta Silverbacks; Jeanne Manning s, Atlanta Public Schools; Pam Williamson , Consultant; Patrick Jones , Journey Productions. A special thanks to outgoing board members Colleen Brannan, Cox Enterprises, Inc.; John Hendricks, Discovery Communications; and Jim Sheldon , National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
HAPPINES IS A GOLDEN VOLUNTEER
Much success of a nonprofit can be attributed to high quality, loyal volunteers . like you!
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Volunteers take a real 'hands on' approach to teach proper technique. |
Soccer In The Streets is seeking volunteers in the Atlanta Metro Area to help us with our Positive-Choice Soccer Programs. Our mission is to teach less advantaged kids to make positive choices in life to better themselves, their families and communities through soccer. Your involvement and support is crucial for our success to kick drugs and crime out of distressed communities by teaching "at-risk" kids and their families how to live a more positive life through soccer.
Who Can Volunteer? Anyone who has an interest in helping children can volunteer. Volunteers 18 years and older must pass a background check. Duties and activities consist of coaching, supervising, keeping records and teaching the Positive-Choice curriculum.
What Is Involved? Volunteers will need to be able to commit two hours a week and provide their own transportation to the sites. The program involves about 20-40 children per site and the children's ages range from 6 through 14 years old.
For more information or to sign up to volunteer, please contact our office.
Phone: 678.993.2113
Email: admin@soccerstreets.org
Website: www.soccerstreets.org
To volunteer for an affiliate in a city near you, you can find their contact information on our website at http://www.soccerstreets.org/about_sits/program_directors/index.htm
"ON THE BALL" is the quarterly newsletter of Soccer In The Streets, an Atlanta based nationwide non-profit organization that teaches less advantaged kids to make positive choices in life so as to better themselves, their families and communities through soccer.
Copyright 2004 by Soccer In The Streets, Inc. All rights reserved. This message may be forwarded to individuals if this trailer is included, but may *not* be reposted publicly or reprinted in any form without explicit permission.
Soccer In The Streets, Inc.
2323 Perimeter Park Drive NE
Atlanta, GA 30341
Phone: 678.993.2113
FAX: 770.452.1946
Email: info@soccerstreets.org
Website: www.soccerstreets.org
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