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SOCCER IN THE STREETS Newsletter -
Fall 2005
""The most important thing to remember is that the future depends on me." – Alex Diaz, Age 14
In this issue, read more about:
“EQUIPO POSITIVO ” SETS GOAL TO GET 1,OOO KIDS OFF THE STREET
Soccer in the Streets establishes a new program to help Hispanic youth be successful in soccer and in life
SOCCER IN THE STREETS AND THE ATLANTA COCA-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY TEAM UP TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
POWERade sponsorship enables inner-city kids to get their kicks at Street-Cup series in 2005
A NEW, EASY WAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE: BECOME A STREETS TEAM'S BIGGEST FAN!
Without their own ‘soccer moms' and minivans, ‘soccer orphans' are looking for someone to just cheer them on
FIRST ATLANTA “SOCCER FOR PEACE” EVENT IS A HUGE SUCCESS
International Exhibition Match, Youth Soccer Clinics, World Premiere movie of Doc Hollywood author, Sudanese Celebration fill the day with fun and purpose
LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES RECOGNIZED THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING LIFE SKILLS USING SOCCER SKILLS
Second year of funding enables expansion into three new areas
SUMMER INTERNS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Read more about diverse young people who come from far and wide to serve the community
NEWS FROM AROUND THE SOCCER IN THE STREETS WORLD
Learn about affiliates in diverse places that are serving youth on a local level
 “EQUIPO POSITIVO ” SETS GOAL TO GET 1,OOO KIDS OFF THE STREET
Soccer in the Streets Establishes a New Program to Help Hispanic Youth be Successful in Soccer and in Life
During the 2005-2006 year, Soccer In The Streets will establish Equipo Positivo (The Positive Team) a year-round life skills soccer program and soccer-specific facilities at 10 new sites serving Hispanic communities in the Atlanta metro area, reaching at least 1,000 more kids!
 The goals of the new Equipo Positivo program include:
- Producing a quality experience for each child that revolves around educational support and crime prevention.
- Raising $400,000 over two years, uniting the community to support programs in new communities where the need is greatest.
- Joining all new sites together for a metro-wide Soccer In The Streets league that supports itself for years to come.
- Providing an environment that fosters interaction with diverse cultures and uses fair play and friendly competition as a vehicle for reinforcing social skills, soccer skills and education.
Equipo Positivo is just a part of the audacious Soccer in the Streets 2005-2006 Vision!
The Soccer In The Streets “Urban Soccer Model” will be adopted and supported by the whole community, expanding educational opportunities and improving the lives of less advantaged children in metro Atlanta .
 How YOU can become involved:
- Kids and their families – sign the petition and let your community leaders know that you want this program in your neighborhood.
- Business leaders – find the resources (money, locations, awareness) to create one “positive team” at a time.
- Government and community leaders – find partners and resources for the kids in your community.
- Concerned individuals – talk to your friends and find out how you can get involved.
- Social service agencies & schools – ask us how we can partner and pool our resources to serve your clients.
 As always the key goals of Soccer in the Streets will be to address and overcome the two biggest obstacles for youth: lack of education & crime. Take not of the following statistics:
- The high school dropout rates are as high as 70 percent among Latino children.
- 85% of drop outs will get involved with crime.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta now identifies teen violence is a major public health problem.
- The statistics for armed robbery, assault, rape, and carjackings by juveniles in the United States are higher than in any other country in the world.
- The rate of juvenile-related crime actually doubles during the hours after school. (The period of 3-4 p.m. )
The people at Soccer in the Streets know that soccer is one of the best ways to reach and teach youth from all walks of life and all parts of the world. Consider the following:
- In at least one elementary school in the Atlanta metro area, the present student body of 628 is composed of students from at least twenty countries.
- Soccer is the world's sport, played in almost every country in the world.
- Soccer In The Streets' Urban Soccer Model has brought together youth who normally do not associate outside of school.
- The Positive-Choice Soccer program is proven to significantly improve conduct, cooperation and conflict resolution skills.
- Long-term data supports improvement in academic achievement and increased family involvement.
 The Urban Soccer Model: An Innovative Approach
- All-weather “Street-Box” Facilities are built close to where kids live and play and can be used year round.
- “Positive-Choice Soccer” curriculum teaches very important life skills that are associated with soccer skills
- Families and communities are part of the program and their involvement is essential.
Envision Soccer In The Streets in your community:
- Hundreds of boys and girls, from 5 to 17 years old, learning and growing into successful citizens.
- Kids in 10 different areas, representing neighborhoods, schools and communities, joined together in the spirit of fun and competition.
- Banners, signs, music, positive activity… a festive atmosphere for kids and their families
The benefits of using soccer as a bridge for at-risk kids to a better way of life is proven. Soccer provides positive competition, shows teamwork, facilitates a positive interaction with community organizations, promotes better health, provides a vehicle for mentoring and life skills programs, and opens a route to potential educational scholarships and employment opportunities.
Positive-Choice Soccer programs encourage youth to interact with others in a positive way, work together for a common goal and realize a sense of accomplishment which in turn gives them a heightened self-esteem. This is turn affects our communities, our workforce and our schools.
New soccer facilities (Street-Box) provide a permanent solution to lack of playing areas for the soccer participants in the community. YOUR SUPPORT will make this positive experience possible for over 1,000 children and their families in 10 key areas in metro Atlanta and ultimately, beyond.
Soccer In The Streets and The Atlanta Coca-Cola Bottling Company team up for POWERade Street-Cup Tournament series in 2005
P OWERade sponsorship enables inner-city kids to get their kick and promotes healthy activities
The Atlanta Coca-Cola Bottling Company is lending a hand to Soccer In the Streets to help touch young lives throughout the greater Atlanta area. In addition to underwriting the 2005 POWERade Street -Cup tournaments, Coca-Cola will provide POWERade products as the official sports beverage of Street-Cup tournaments. This support will ensure that the children receive awards, as well as food and mementos of their participation in this great event.
 Describing the company's commitment to the community, Connie Marshall, Director of Community Relations, said, “The Atlanta Coca-Cola Bottling Company has made it a priority to help educate parents, children, schools, and communities about the central role that physical activity and nutrition play in promoting a healthy active lifestyle.”
Soccer In The Streets welcomes the additional support. Program manager, Ricardo Montoya , explained the benefits for the children. “This will create more consistency and enable the tournaments to be continued. Because it is competition and not just training, the kids are going to be challenged and they will be required to do their best and prove themselves.”
 The POWERade Street-Cups are part of Soccer In The Streets' Positive-Choice Soccer program, which teaches kids to chart a course for their life away from unhealthy behavior, such as drug use and participation in gangs, and toward a better education, career, and healthier lifestyle and personal growth. The program ties life skills with soccer skills, teaching young people to associate fun activities with the skills necessary to be successful.
 POWERade has granted money to fund five events at five different sites from the month of July to December all around the greater Atlanta area. On average, 145 participants and their families will be involved in each event, not to mention numerous volunteers and casual observers in the neighborhood. The POWERade brand will also be featured on banners at the events.
 The tournament format features all games played in a one-day span from morning to dusk. Kids ages 6-14 form teams on the morning of the event, based upon age. Awards are given to the winning team in each age group, as well as a “Fair Play” team in each age group and participation awards are given to all players. Specific event dates and results are posted on the Soccer In The Streets web site at www.soccerstreets.org.
A NEW , EASY WAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE: BECOME A STREETS TEAM 'S BIGGEST FAN!
Without their own ‘soccer moms' and minivans, ‘soccer orphans' are looking for someone to just cheer them on
On the brink of playing in the tournament championship game, one of the kids asked his coach, “Hey coach, can you get us some fans?” Out of fourteen players, only three parents were present and one of them was the coach. (Since it was a tournament, it must've been important, because usually the coach is the only adult at the game.) A Latino family whose child played on a team from a local suburban league was passing by and noticed the team of rough looking, minority kids and stopped to watch. The impromptu cheering section boosted the kids, who won the match handily.
 In the final, the opposing team dominated the entire sideline with lawnchairs filled with parents, siblings, friends and other relatives. Meanwhile, the Streets' kids sideline could now boast four parents (including the coach), an uncle, a cousin and three staff people. Game on.
The team of middle school aged boys managed to pull out the win and then excitedly dumped the water cooler on their coach and ran through the celebration tunnel furnished by the opposing team's parents (The Streets' kids were so pumped up that they ran through the tunnel a couple of times before the crestfallen runners up had the chance. So outdone, the other team didn't even bother running through their own tunnel. Oops!).
In spite of the happy occasion of being tournament champions, these kids don't really have the support they deserve. Likewise, our young friends who play for the Fugees, teams of refugee kids who are excellent players and terrific young people, are supported only by their coach and an occasional volunteer or two. Certainly, they feel the same longing for someone to stand on their sideline and cheer them on.
So if you can't give money to support our program, or if a weekly commitment of time to coach a team is too much to ask, how about becoming a seasonal soccer fan? Choose a team or a player and follow their progress or drop in at game fields periodically and cheer whomever is playing that day. The kids really appreciate the attention, and you will enjoy the entertaining soccer matches. The soccer season in Atlanta metro runs from March-May and from September-November. For more information on schedules and teams, please call 678.993.2119 . 
FIRST ATLANTA "SOCCER FOR PEACE" EVENT IS A HUGE SUCCESS
International Exhibition Match, Youth Soccer Clinics, World Premiere movie of Doc Hollywood author, Sudanese Celebration fill the day with fun and purpose
Soccer in the Streets , Emory University , Soccer4Peace, the Lost Boys of Sudan, and the real “Doc Hollywood”, Neil Shulman (author and associate-producer of the hit Michael J. Fox movie) joined forces to launch this area's first “Soccer for Peace” Festival. This event took place at Candler Field on Emory University 's campus earlier this year.
The event was a great success! The organizers raised over $2,000 and numerous boxes of donated soccer equipment were sent to the Darfur region of Sudan . The event also raised awareness and support for local efforts to benefit disadvantaged children.
 Festivities included exhibition matches and special soccer clinics conducted by Emory University coaches and players. The Sudanese community contributed a taste of Sudanese culture through traditional dance, music, and food. The world premiere of Who Nose?", a new “reality comedy” by the real Doc Hollywood, was held at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center on Emory University 's campus following the soccer games. The event concluded with one grand salute to peace, by participants at the day's events.
Thanks to Emory University and all those who contributed to making Soccer For Peace a success. Through the universal language of soccer, this unique initiative aims to create an atmosphere of trust and kinship between the refugees of the Darfur region and the African-Union peacekeeping forces. Locally, soccer has been proven to be an effective tool for promoting education, cultural understanding, responsible decisions and healthy lifestyles among at-risk kids. Globally, the world's most popular sport has the potential for overcoming conflict and improving the plight of people in many diverse places.
Preparations are already underway to bring an international delegation to Atlanta for a “Soccer Summit ” to explore and promote the social dimension of the sport as a means for improving the lives of disadvantaged people. For more information regarding the next Soccer For Peace event visit the website www.soccerforpeace.net.
LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES RECOGNIZES THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING LIFE SKILLS USING SOCCER SKILLS
 Thanks to funding through Fulton County 's FRESH Program, two new Positive-Choice Soccer programs are underway in Atlanta 's urban neighborhoods. Through the Positive-Choice curriculum, which was successfully piloted in the Atlanta Public School system and the Boys & Girls Club, the program uses trained staff and volunteers to implement the physical, educational and cultural enrichment activities related to the program.
 Through participation in Positive-Choice soccer, kids learn to chart a course for their life away from unhealthy behavior, such as drug use and participation in gangs, toward a healthier lifestyle that includes better education, positive career choices and personal growth. The new program sites include Finch Elementary School in Oakland City and the Grove Park Recreation Center .
The programs have been well received and Grove Park even hosted its first POWERade Street-Cup tournament in the fall. The collaborative partners for these programs include the City of Atlanta Department of Recreation, Atlanta Public Schools and Community In Schools program.
THANKS TO OUR AMAZING SUMMER INTERNS!
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.
Samuel Dupervil interned for Soccer In The Streets through The United Way Summer Youth Fellows program. He is currently in 11 th grade at Southside High School . He received the “Most Improved” award in summer school while simultaneously fulfilling his interning duties at Soccer In The Streets. He was, without a doubt, a great asset to the Soccer In The Streets' team.
Jason Rivers is currently a college student Georgia State University . He is majoring in Economics and will graduate in December 2005. He has always had an interest in soccer and played on Georgia State University 's soccer team, which is a Division one university. He made many contributions to Soccer In The Streets through marketing and public relations activities throughout the summer.
Lauren Copeland is currently a college student at Concordia College in Moorhead , MN . She is majoring in International Business and Marketing and minoring in German and will graduate in May 2006. Lauren grew up playing soccer and contributed to Soccer In The Streets through various marketing and public relations activities.
Kenneth Edwards is a graduate of Ohio State University in Columbus , Ohio with a degree in Political Science and Sociology. Before coming to Soccer In The Streets he studied abroad in London and was a member of the Peace Corp in Romania . He contributed to Soccer In The Streets with his knowledge of fundraising and was a great addition to the team.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
We have some new additions to our team of nation-wide supporters. These affiliates have started similar programs using the same curriculum as the Atlanta-based program.
Crystal Springs, MS
LaTanya DeLoach is the program director for K.I.C.K.S. (Kids In Communities Knowing Soccer). She is the founder and coach of K.I.C.K.S., which is a non-profit organization with the goal of offering soccer to all children regardless of race, creed, sex, economic status or ability. LaTanya faces the double challenge of being in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina. Your help and support is encouraged for these folks.
El Paso , TX
Miguel Lopez has started programs like Positive-Choice Soccer and the GoGirlGo program using Street-Boxes in El Paso, TX . He is striving to provide the El Paso youth with a positive athletic atmosphere in which the spirit of the game of soccer shines through. By sharing his love for soccer he is promoting both soccer and sportsmanship.
St. Louis , MO
Mark Thomas Rogers is starting an affiliate program in St. Louis , MO. He is excited about promoting the growth and development of youth soccer in local neighborhoods.
Tampa , FL
Lamar Dula has rejoined the Soccer in the Streets family as the director of an affiliate program in Tampa , FL. He is excited about the new direction the program is taking and is looking forward to expanding in the future.
Brunswick , GA
Shawn Williams is the program director of COS (Coastal Outreach Soccer). He is interested in helping kids develop by setting realistic goals in relation to family, school, soccer, etc. He has had extensive experience both coaching kids and mentoring kids and looks forward to combining his experiences in this program. The COS kids will be joining the Atlanta Streets kids for a fun event at Golden Isles Soccer complex on Jekyll Island called “Streets Meets the Beach,” to take advantage of the mild coastal autumn weather and some excellent soccer competition.
Aiken, SC
Long time coach, soccer aficionado and friend of disadvantaged children, John Wilson, recently passed away after battling cancer. On behalf of the Soccer In The Streets family, we wish our sincerest condolences to John's family. He will be greatly missed.
“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 2005 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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