CBS Early Show

We are really grateful to CBS for turning their focus on the lives of the homeless, and in particular on our soccer program. Please enjoy this piece room the Early Show which aired on Friday the 27th of June.



Please also note that Dale Mullennix is the Director of the Urban Ministry Center, and that Lawrence Cann is the director/founder of Street Soccer USA. Lawrence who directs the Community Works 945 program was identified incorrectly as the Urban Ministry Center director.



Also, our sponsor The Leonsis Family Foundation was not included among our principle sponsors in the piece, ad we wish to recognize the foundation's central role in making the 2008 Homeless USA Cup happen.

2008 Homeless USA Cup Champions: Youth Link of Minneapolis, Minnesota!

Lots more news coming soon so check back, especially to read the official list of players selected from around the country to represent the US in the Homeless World Cup 2008 in Melbourne, Australia.

Street Soccer Austin, TX is ready for USA Cup

Watch a short video on Street Soccer Austin as they prepare for their trip to Washington tomorrow.

The team also made headlines in the Daily Texan Newspaper. Pictured here and covered in the article is Edwin Calix.

'Edwin, who grew up in LifeWorks, Austin's shelter for homeless children, spoke Thursday before practice through his translator and chaperone, LifeWork's volunteer Frank Baca, who will accompany him on the D.C. trip.

Edwin said the soccer team offers him a great outlet for learning. He's "getting acquainted with U.S. customs and culture, soccer brings him out and exposed him to others," continues Frank.

A student of Literacy Austin (a free English as a second language instruction program), Edwin is learning English and working toward his GED.

"It's exciting to go see the capital of the United States," he said. "I want to see the White House."

To read the rest of the article click here.

Kastles Stadium Near Completion

Check out our venue.
We'll be playing here next week!!!!!!!!!
The Washington Kastles a really cool professional tennis team headlined by Serena Williams. have nearly finished the early construction of their venue in time for the Homeless USA Cup.
Check this link to a flicker page send to my by Kastles' Owner, Mark Ein. Mark is also a co-producer of Susan Koch's Kicking It, a Ted Leonsis Production.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcalt/sets/72157605705903084/with/2555142234/

We are proud to announce that Mark Ein will present the Kastles' Trophy for best female player of the tournament at the Homeless USA Cup after the final match next Sunday. Since our sport is coed, like the Kastles', the Kastles wanted to affirm the the women ancourage there number in the future by making this award.

Hoover and David

Hoover and David:
(pictured above in Charlotte, North Carolina)

Hoover looks 15. He’s 20, but for someone his ages he has lots of stories to tell. He works at temp agencies, but nothing regular. When he can't find or make a friend. He sleeps outside.

David also sleeps outside but he’ll have an option to move indoors now that his disability check has come through.

If at times Hoover and David seemed more distracted than at others, it probably has to do with the regularity of their sleep or their meals. If they can’t find a couch to sleep on, it’s an abandoned building, or a camp spot in between the center city and the 277 beltway, or else they just wander “like zombies” all night, "staying safe."

“Soccer keeps me focused, it keeps me from exlpoding and doing something stupid. I’d probably go ride with someone to Florida, or get mixed up in something I shouldn’t be doing if I wasn’t playing on this team. But I feel like I can make some progress if I stick with this. I feel like I have somebody behind me.

Thursday, Hoover and Davids started at left and right midfield for Street Soccer 945. Standing on top of each other they barely clear 10 feet in height.

The game marked the return of D. whose drug relapse had us all worried. Big D's renewed focus was an inspiration to all. Even three goals from the prodigal striker couldn't pull us even and we lost by 3 goals. Hoover and David were goofing around like children, and frankly it was a pleasure to see. The team singing D’s nickname, D-bone to various hip hop song. Then D opened the van door and screamed to whomever was out there. "I am going to DC! I am going to DC!" The tension was visibly lacking in D's face. He looked handsome, young, full of hope and clear eyed. It’s these moments most of all that pay the bills as a homeless soccer coach.


In local competition last week the Street Soccer Stars rebounded from two straight losses to mark a convincing victory by thte score of 10-5.

We focused team discussion on suporting each other and moving past the last play and on th with game. 8 minutes into the game the team found itself down 3-0. Tempers were heated, but the team kept it’s focus. At the half we scored a clutch goal to pull to within 1 goal 4-3. The second half was a complete romp. Victory was one success. D was another. And the cherry on top had to be news of Craig's new job at Dilworth Grill.

Well done everyone.

LA Ready to Rock

Posted here is a poster for the benefit concert organized for the Los Angeles Team by Gerardo Gomez. The concert features Kemo the Blaxican and Xaris's spoke word as seen on youtube here among many others.

The LA team is organized out of Jovenes Inc. a spanish language teen shelter in LA.

Some say Andrea Marchetti's team is the team to beat. If the team's talent is as big and strong as the heart of player Johny Figueroa they should have nothing but success on the pitch in DC. Below is an excerpt from the note Johny wrote expressing his interest in the coming to the Homeless USA Cup.

"I came to this country looking for a better future. As you also know I have experienced the hardships of sleeping on the street. Being homeless is really depressing, at that time I felt very miserable because sometimes I was unable to eat. I felt angry at myself because I was living in such bad conditions, until I did not believe in myself anymore. But now I have a stable job and I am full-time student at Pasadena City College, thanks to wonderful people that have made me believe in myself.

Soccer has always been my passion. I been playing since I remember. I believe that soccer has taught me many valuable lessons. I learned that it is important to fight and work for what you believe in. I have learned more skills than soccer, such as teamwork and communication skills. I have learned that it's good to broaden one's horizon by meeting and becoming friends with people from other schools and communities. I believe that I have demonstrated my love for the game by my leadership, hard work and dedication. I have demonstrated my passion for learning by dedicating myself to excellence in learning. Because of all I believe that soccer has been I big influence in shifting my life from homeless to a successful student and soccer player. "

St. Louis in the News!

Coach Flomo with team above

Coach Flomo, a refugee from Liberia knows what it is like not to have home. A former child soldier, Flomo has not only had to flee his homeland, he has spent time homeless himself. Today he chooses to give back. After finishing his degree, Flomo became a social worker himself. An attendee of last year’s organziing conference, Flomo has partnered with Kieth Deisner of Peter and Paul’s Shleter in St. Louis to organzie the state’s first homeless soccer team.

Read the recent publicity about the team and their courageous coaches here.

for video go straight here

DC 08: Schedule of Events

The Homeless USA Cup 2008 in Washington DC
June 27-29th

100 homeless athletes from California to New York travel to DC to compete for the Homeless USA Cup and try out for the US team that will travel to the Homeless World Cup in Melbourne, Australia, alongside no fewer than 47 other countries.

The Homeless USA Cup is FREE!

Enjoy exciting 4vs4 soccer. Games are only 15 minutes and feature lots of goals.

Where:

11th and H Street at Washington Kastles Stadium

What and When:

-CBS Early Show: 7:45 Am Friday
-Skill Session with DC United's Ben Olsen: 9:30-10:30
-Opening Ceremony and games 12:30-7pm
-Games: 8am-4pm Saturday, FC Harlem vs. 07 Homeless National Team hosted by Rise Sports
-Semifinals: 5-6pm Saturday
-Rise Sports Poetry Slam: 6-7:30 Saturday
-Championship Matches and Awards Ceremony: 4-5:30 pm Sunday


Celebrity Soccer appearances by Ben Olson and Clyde Simms of DC United, music, poetry, soccer skills competition and more . .

Volunteers and Supporters needed. To get involved please email "volunteer@streetsoccerusa.org."

Also, attend the matches as act of volunteering. By supporting you can play a small role in ending homelessness.

YOU MUST go see the film bought by ESPN that features some of the athletes competing in the tournament: "Kicking it" premiers June 13 in NYC and June 27th in DC and LA--www.kickingitthefilm.com

And learn about the Homeless World Cup at www.homelessworldcup.org

Sponsors include: Ted Leonsis Foundation, Nike, US Soccer Foundation, and Wachovia.
DC Hosts are the National Coaliton for the Homeless and Street Sense Newspaper.

Bring Granola bars for DC Central Kitchen's Healthy Start Program

Street Soccer USA puts on the Homeless USA Cup and is incubated within the Urban Ministry Center.


Please visit/join our facebook group: Street Soccer USA.

Plus, see the new film about the homeless world cup, "Kicking it," June 13 in NYC and June 27th in DC and LA: www.kickingitthefilm.com

HOMELESS USA CUP 2008: MATCH SCHEDULE

USA%20Homeless%20Soccer%20Cup%20Match%20Schedule%20UPDATE2008.xls

Link here to get the match schedule. Grouping will be announce the day of the event and posted to the blog.

Participating teams incude:

US National Team (From Previous Years)
Atlanta
Austin
Charlotte
Los Angeles
Minnesota
Michigan
New York
Richmond
San Francisco
St. Louis
Washington, DC

The Beautiful Game......

Agent for Social Change, and friend and supporter of Street Soccer USA and the Homeless USA Cup, Kevin Carroll recently posted several blogs about Kicking It the film at his ESPN Page 2 site.

Check out his musings at ESPN Page 2, and keep checking back to see what other exciting events he's writing about: http://sportsnation.espn.go.com/fans/Katalyst4Sport/blog/posts/56974

Kastles Open Their Home to the Inaugural Homeless USA Cup

At the Homeless USA Cup later this month, players will be at center stage during tournament play. When fans descend on the Washington Kastles 2,020 seat stadum, they will be treated to a new Downtown DC landmark.


The temporary stadium, located at the site of the former Washington Convention Center, offer up close and personal action throughout the Homeless USA Cup. The Kastles are the newest franchise to join World TeamTennis, which is co-founded by Tennis icon Billie Jean King.

The Kastles team includes such tennis superstars as Serena Williams and Thomas Blake, and the three-week "fan focused tennis" season will see John McEnroe and Anna Kournikova make stops at the new stadium.

The vision for bringing the Kastles to Washington, DC is led by Mark Ein, a businessman and philanthropist, and also Executive Producer of KICKINGIT. Mr. Ein's commitment and generosity to local efforts, such as the Homeless USA Cup, is greatly appreciated and we thrilled to partner with him and the Kastles.

To learn more about the Washington Kastles visit: www.washingtonkastles.com and to purchase tickets call: (202) 4TENNIS

"A Ball Can Change Your Life" - Kevin Carroll Katalyst

At the 2006 Homeless World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa, those inspirational words echoed across the street soccer pitch and into the hearts and minds of the more than 48 nations participating at the Homeless World Cup. Kevin's energy brought players from Canada to Chile, and Poland to Portugal to their feet in celebration of soccer, sport and life.

Kevin remains an active supporter and advocate of the Homeless World Cup through his sponsorship of Gomo Tong Football Club representing Uganda in Cape Town and again in Copenhagen in 2007, and spreading the mantra from his personal story that, “A Ball Can Change Your Life.”

This year, Kevin graciously extended his support to the Homeless USA Cup as a sponsor and supporter of the Inaugural USA Cup.

Among his many experiences and talents, Kevin is an author, and agent for social change. He travels the world, and helps people harness the power of sport and play as a vehicle for chasing and achieving their dreams. As an author, Kevin has achieved incredible success with his first book, Rules of The Red Rubber Ball (ESPN Books). Discover Your Inspiration and Chase it for a Lifetime (ESPN Books) will be released in 2008.

We want to thank Kevin for his friendship and for inspiring all of us to realize that a ball IS changing lives. Check out his musings at: katalystatlarge.com during the Homeless USA Cup and also, his prose at ESPN’s Page 2: http://sportsnation.espn.go.com/fans/Katalyst4Sport