St. Louis Roadies in the News!

Check out the latest of the Street Soccer USA teams to be featured by their local media. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently covered Keith Deisner and his St. Louis Roadies as they prepare for the SSUSA Cup.

Only three days to go!

Eto'o is my hero'o

We are blogging about Street Soccer and Samuel Eto'o has relevance. Why? Because Street Soccer is about overcoming poverty/homelessness and it's about the world game we love and share.

Now, what's great about this link is that it refers to Thomsas N'kono, Cameroon goalkeeper in 1990 when Cameroon became the first African nation to "break through." Cameroon, known as the Indomitable Lions, made the quarterfinals, losing to England in penalties in an epic match. Roger Mila and company stole the world's imagination, including one American boy's from Virginia. 8 years later I found myself on scholarship to study a summer in Cameroon. It was the 1990 World Cup that drove my curiosity to get to that country one way or another. I played soccer there, of course, on the local team, and in some ways I never left West Africa.

So I am impartial . . . but I also know a great striker when I see one--as a former outside back. Inter have made a great deal for a uniquely motivated individual. Eto'o has been overlooked by media again and again as Barca and the world press prefer to focus on other players, perhaps more marketable ones. In Barca beside scoring goals, Eto'o dealt with racial violence during matches. Opposing crowds threw bananas at him and a couple times he had to walk off the pitch. He has preferred to focus on football rather than let the racists disturb or distract him. His indomitable psyche is a great example to the Street Soccer USA players, who must deal with stereotypes, judgments, social injustice, on a daily basis. We hit this message everyday, don't let others distract you from your goals. While I love to root against Inter and the hilarious Mourinho, I would cheer from the bottom of my heart if Eto'o, my hero'o, would lead inter to Champions league glory. Comments? agree or disagree?

Dr. Gupta's Blog Speak on Street Soccer USA

Dr. Gupta himself visited Street Soccer Atlanta. Check out this article on his blog http://tiny.cc/JRJAx

WHO WE ARE: Contender #13- Austin

Tad Christie, pictured above was selected from last year's Austin Team to join the US National Team at the Homeless World Cup. Tad took full advantage of the opportunity and trained hard, improving himself as a player. As he forges ahead, Tad, though he is no longer homeless, has whole new set of challenges. He is working presently in his spare time with Craig Hutcheson to continue the Austin program which Sabelyn Pussman started a year and half ago. Tad was featured last winter in People Magazine. The article details the story of the impact that Street Soccer USA had on his life.

Austin returns this year with a new group of dedicated individuals. Coach Craig Hutcheson is getting the youth of Austin involved. Last season youth team Lake County United sponsored SSUSA on their jerseys.

Charlotte Team featured in News Story

North Carolina Rep Street Soccer 945 of the Urban Ministry Center in Charlotte was recently covered in this news piece by Michelle Bailey of WBTV. Follow SS-945 twitter updates at CLT_SSUSA.

WHO WE ARE: Contender #12- Street Soccer Atlanta

Street Soccer Atlanta returns for their third Street Soccer USA Cup in 2009. Atlanta, the winner of the Fair Play Trophy in 2006 in Charlotte, is organized by the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless (MATFH).

WHO WE ARE: Contender #11- San Francisco

The city of San Francisco will be represented again this year at the Street Soccer USA Cup. This year they will organized by a different service provider; Glide Memorial Church. Glide was founded forty years ago by philanthropist Lizzie Glide and has since grown it one of the largest providers in San Francisco. Glide's mission is to break the cycles of multi-generational dependency, poverty, and low self worth by providing a spiritual home.


The street soccer team is run by the Youth build program which focuses on youth and community development. The program focuses on guiding young men and women toward a productive future. The combination of Youth build and Street Soccer have already helped these young athletes towards their goals.

19-year old Josue, who aspires to be a social worker for children is working hard to make the soccer team for the City College in San Francisco as well as the Glide team. Jaime, a former heavy drinker is now practices with the team three times a week, and twice on his own. Since joining the team he has stopped drinking and spends most of his time on the soccer field. One recent graduate of the program, Daniel, had never played soccer but was interested in the possibility has made the team, while another player, Johnny, is working hard to obtain his GED.



The team, which is coached by former semi-player David E. Rodriguez, was recently covered by local a KTVU news. Click here to see the news report.

WHO WE ARE: Contender #10- Los Del Cid

Organized by the Human Restoration Foundation in Rockville, Maryland, Montgomery Country Street Soccer has been working hard on their soccer skills as well as rehabilitation and recovery programs. The team is coached by Carlos Fernandez and Luis Felipe Romero who are currently developing a program and model that they hope to replicate across the state of Maryland. Graduates of their programs remain a involved in giving back to new players and to the larger community.


This past Sunday, Los Del Cid participated in the "Cambiando Percepciiones/Changing Perceptions" 6v6 soccer tournament at Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center in Washington, D.C. (See previous post) The team came in first place overall at the tournament!

Street Soccer DC and Montgomery County - Soccer Weekend

Street Soccer DC and Montgomery County Street Soccer wrapped up an exciting weekend in Washington, D.C. On Friday, July 17, both teams were invited by DC United to train at RFK Stadium for one hour, followed by watching DC United practice, and then a meet and greet with the entire DC United Team.




Check out the photos from our visit to DC United here

Special thanks to all of the players and staff at RFK Stadium including Aprile Pritchet, Doug Hicks and Jamie O'Connor.

Special thanks also to the Erik Moses, and the staff at the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission including Teri Washington and Rebecca Stirrett.

On Sunday, both teams participated in the "Cambiando Percepciiones/Changing Perceptions" 6v6 soccer tournament at Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center in Washington, D.C. The event was jointly hosted and sponsored by D.C. Office on Latino Affairs, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, and Street Soccer Washington, D.C.

Teams of at-risk youth, day laborers, and homeless soccer players participated in the local soccer tournament.

Check out the photos here, and we are pleased to announce that Los Del Cid (Street Soccer Montgomery County) finished in 1st Place!



Special thanks to Mercedes Lemp and the staff at OLA, the entire D.C. Department of Recreation staff including Tunis Abdullah Manager of Soccer Programs, and the staff at the Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center, who helped to make this tournament a success.

Also, our appreciation to the volunteers from the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute for coming out to help with the tournament and the Whitman Walker Clinic for coming out to the tournament to offer free HIV/AIDS testing and health services information at the tournament.

WHO WE ARE: Contender #9- St. Louis Roadies

Last year, Peter and Paul Community Services formed the St. Louis Roadies and competed in their first Street Soccer USA Cup. After the tournament, the Roadies were awarded the Fair Play Award for having best captured the spirit of the tournament. In addition, their goalie, Oscar, was selected for the USA National Team which traveled to Australia to compete in the Homeless World Cup.

The Roadies have used their soccer success to not only help themselves, but the entire homeless population of St. Louis. Last summer they met with Missouri senator, Kit Bond, to discuss the issues facing the chronically homeless of St. Louis.


The Roadies have a collection of sponsors aiding in their participation in the 2009 Street Soccer USA Cup, including St. Louis Soccer Hall of Famer, Monsignor Louis F. Meyer.

Most of the team, including leading defender and co-captain Doug (pictured below) have been training for the Cup for the past eleven months. The Roadies will return to DC this summer looking to bring a few more trophies back to St. Louis.

WHO WE ARE: Contender #8- Jovenes, Inc. of Los Angeles

In 2008, Jovenes, Inc. started a street soccer program which provides outreach to at-risk and homeless youth in the Los Angeles community, and promotes a healthy lifestyle. The Street Soccer LA Program promotes discipline, goal setting, and team building through sports, and offers an innovative method to help youth gain control of their lives.

Last year Jovenes, Inc. represented Los Angeles in the 2008 Street Soccer USA Cup. The team placed second, and two members traveled to Melbourne, Australia this past December to play on the US National Team in the 2008 Homeless World Cup.

In 2009 the team is coached by former player, Johnny Figueroa. Johnny spent time in foster care and group homes before going it on his own and sleeping on the street. According to Johnny, soccer is what kept him going everyday. While staying at a Jovenes Inc transitional housing site where the team is based, he joined the soccer team.

After being an obvious selection for the 2008 Homeless World Cup, coach Andrea Marchetti told Johnny he could not participate unless he pursued his educational seriously. Johnny did just that and traveled with the time to Melbourne this past December.

At the Homeless World Cup, Johnny was chosen as a Nike Fair Player Award winner, one of only four in the entire tournament to win the an award. When we got back to LA, he learned that his application for a scholarship to community college had been accepted. In addition, he earned a scholarship to study in Italy.

Johnny now counsels other youth of his age through the street soccer program as he continue to pursue his college degree.

WHO WE ARE: Contender #7- Street Soccer 945 Charlotte, NC

In 2009 the women in Charlotte are proving they will be a force at the Street Soccer USA Cup too! Street Soccer 945, organized out of the Urban Ministry Center, has three women involved and two of them, Ebony and Nori, have attended more practices than any other team members over the last 9 months. Ebony is pictured first and Nori below.



Ebony was born in 1987 in Durham, NC. She is a tough girl, naturally a right fullback who tackles hard. Soccer is her routine and lifeline. She never misses a practice and even makes time to come to almost every one of the Street Soccer Stars (former SSUSA National Team members and formerly homeless players) games to cheer the team on. She broke through this month in the job market and started work full time after completing a Youth Job Connection program at Goodwill. Ebony has been in and out of hotels, shelters and abandoned apartments for more than two years. She gets her first paycheck this Friday and hopes to be housed just before the team hits the road to Washington, DC. She met Nori about a year and a half ago.

Nori is older, 29. Nori has been homeless for 11 years. She graduated from East Meck High School in Charlotte in 1998, she has been on the street almost ever since. She is vocal and a strong personality that is not afraid to hold the team to a standard of respecting each other and helping out with all aspects of the team, including handling dirty laundry. She is the first to help out and the first to tell others to help out too!

They both started playing soccer 11 months ago. Nori says "its something to do to keep me focused and not standing around realizing how homeless I am." Nori has lost over 32 pounds since the beginning of the year. When she first started she couldn't jog the team's 5 lap warmup around the small track at the gym practice facility. Now she can run all 5 and push through a few more. Ebony is our unquestioned defensive standout. You will see both of these awesome women in DC in July.

The other news of out of Charlotte is the continued roll program graduates play. Mentioned earlier was the Street Soccer Stars team of program graduates who still compete in local leagues in Charlotte. Two of these graduates have taken their commitment to the program a step further.
Ray Isaac, Homeless World Cup Team 2005 and Tim Cummins, Homeless World Cup Team 2008 have moved into a coaching roll for Street Soccer 945. Ray is mostly a team manager, making sure everyone is dressed in proper uniform and has a drink and a snack before the game. He also monitors substitutions by seeing who is into the game with a positive attitude and who works well together. Ray only allows positive cheering. Tim is the tactical coach, teaching skill and positioning and a loud voice calling for players to pick up a person on defense and to pass the ball. Both of these guys have set as a goal to be leaders and coaches for the Charlotte program. They both are doing it in their own way. Tim only shows up for games and is an example of someone who has moved on past the program in a healthy way. He's always dirty from a full days work when he pops in and cheers the team up with his constant talking and smiles. Ray is now an employee of the Urban Ministry Center and runs the art room. He mentors young men and women who need a positive male role model. He counsels folks and encourages everyone and sees the best in them, but holds them to a standard of respect and teamwork. Big Cheers for these two excellent leaders and program graduates. (Ray on the left, Tim on the right in the picture). Stay tuned for a local television news story on the Charlotte team coming next week. To learn more about the Charlotte team visit www.urbanministrycenter.org.

Richmond Rebels Play Half-Time Exhibition Game

As special guests of the USL-2 Richmond Kickers, the Richmond Rebels attended a match between the Kickers and Bermuda Hogges this past Saturday, July 11th at U of R Stadium in Richmond.

The Rebels were announced on the field, and even got a chance to play a half time exhibition during the game. William, the Rebels goalkeeper, got a chance to practice for the upcoming Street Soccer USA Cup against some Kickers players.

Thanks to coaches Jesse Myers and Rob Ukrop, and the Richmond Kickers for making this possible.
Check out some more photos from Saturday on the Richmond Rebels blog.

WHO WE ARE: Contender #6- Sacramento

Out west Sacramento is kicking soccer balls and smoking habits. The team, which began last fall, has been steadily getting ready for the Street Soccer USA Cup. Once training began the guys took to it seriously, and all have stayed clean and sober.

Sacramento is bringing six dedicated players, and one set of film equipment to this years SSUSA Cup, as one of the players has begun an internship with a local public access cable network company.

The team is directed and coached by Chris Mann, and the players either live in the Mather Community Campus Transitional Living Program, or have moved out on their own. Half of the team not only works, but attends school as well.

One former resident, Wes, was a motivating factor in getting this team off the ground. Wes was an inmate in the Department of Correction from the age of 18 to 24, and came to Mather afterwards. He became a model citizen despite his past, and he excelled in both school and in his ability to support his community. Eventually Wes obtained a job with the California Department of Corrections and works with 19-24 paroled youths to help find them community based activities. Wes has worked tirelessly to make Street Soccer available to his guys and Wes' program will be represented on the Sacramento team at the SSUSA Cup.

Sacramento is looking forward to adding to the legacy it has built in such a short time. They are spreading the message that social change happens to all people from all experiences and all walks of life. The team understands that they carry the torch for people in the same situation across the country, and take great pride in being in this event. They are the difference they want to see.

Street Soccer DC and Street Soccer Montgomery County at MLS Futbolito

This past weekend, Street Soccer DC and Street Soccer Montgomery County participated in the annual MLS Futbolito tournament. The afternoon was full of exciting 4v4 soccer action out at the Maryland Soccerplex in Boyds, Maryland.




Many thanks to DC United and staff at MLS Futbolito for inviting our teams to participate in this great tournament, and to Boyzzz Khumalo for meeting up with our team during match play.

In addition, Street Soccer DC was featured in the Washington Hispanic on Friday, July 10. Click below to read the story Thanks to the staff at the Washington Hispanic was their great coverage and story about the team.

Article: WHM_071009_0A_00_019_c.pdf

Ann Arbor's Success Highlighted in the News

New York and Washington DC aren't the only teams getting some media coverage this summer. Sara Silvennoinen and her team were featured in the Detroit Free Press over the weekend. Click here to read the story of how the program got off the ground, and the impact it has had on the community of Washtenaw County. Congratulations to Sam Mejia for all his accomplishments since joining the program.

Futbol Para Sanar (hometown team prepares for cup)

The Washington Hispanic covered the DC team's preparations ahead of this year's cup. Jorge Munoz, who has used soccer as a way to remain sober and focus on his goals, is highlighted in the article. He's also pictured here. Much thank so to partners Neighbor Consejo, Deloitte, SSUSA's Jeremy Goldberg, and all others who have brought the team into focus over the past months.

New Yorker of the Week

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Look who's New Yorker of the Week. Thanks to player, coaches, and HELP USA--what an example of collaboration and goodwill bringing out the best in everyone!

WHO WE ARE: Contender #5- Ann Arbor SSPORT

Street Soccer is thriving in Washtenaw County, Michigan as the team returns for the 2009 Street Soccer USA Cup. Operated by the Project Outreach Team, "SSPORT" began when now coach Sara Silvennionen stumbled upon the Homeless World Cup. An in effort to bring the program to her area, she contacted Street Soccer USA and soon SSPORT was off and running.

Last year the team made a splash at their Cup debut. They finished fourth overall and took home two prized trophies. The first, the Washington Kastles Trophy, was awarded to the best female athlete. The second was the Kevin Caroll Katalyst Trophy which goes to the coach who best exemplifies the concept that "A ball can change your life". On top of this, Sara Silvennoinen was asked to coach the United States team at 2008 Homeless World Cup in Melbourne, Australia.
The program continues to grow. On March 29, 2009 SSPORT held the "Kicking Homelessness to Curb" fundraiser. The team faced off against the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Department. The two teams played to a 6-6 tie and SSPORT was able to raise enough funds to cover their trip to Washington this summer.


Washtenaw County has finished its season at the World Wide Sport Center, and now practices at West Park in Ann Arbor every Thursday from 2-4. Keep an eye out for more events and updates with the team at their website.

Galaxy vs Barcelona Tickets For Sale!

Street Soccer Los Angeles will be organizing a few fundraisers this month as they prepare for the 2009 Street Soccer USA Cup.

The LA Galaxy have provided the team with a great opportunity to sell tickets to their August 1st match against reigning European Champions FC Barcelona at the Rose Bowl.

Tickets are 35 dollars a piece and Street Soccer LA has until July 20th to sell as many tickets as possible.

Also, this Sunday July 12th at 9AM, Los Angeles will be holding their own Street Soccer Tournament. There is $50 registration fee for teams of seven players. Registration ends tomorrow at 5PM Pacific Time.

If you miss the deadline, just want to watch, fans are welcome. There will be concessions and merchandise during the event, which will be located at Pecan Recreational Park, 120 S. Gless Street, LA, California 90033.

Anyone interested in either fundraiser should contact Gerardo Gomez at amarchetti@jovenesinc.org

The News in China

Street Soccer USA featured on New Tang Dynasty Television. Check it out.

WHO WE ARE: Contender #4- Street Soccer CVL

Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, Street Soccer CVL has been quite the experiment. The program began and developed differently than most other Street Soccer teams. The difference: Its organized by students.

The Charlottesville program began with Trigg Brown, a student at the University of Virginia. Trigg believed in the principles and possibilities of using small grass roots programs to engage and provide aid for the homeless population in Charlottesville. What started out as a fundraiser for the national program has evolved into a team of five to eight guys that consistently play soccer every week.

Before practice became officially scheduled into everyone's weekly agenda, Trigg and fellow volunteer Garrett Trent were determined to engage the problem of homelessness head on. The two ate breakfast and spent time with members of the Charlottesville homeless population at Hope CC's Day Haven Program. Breakfast was a time to develop relationships with people who are homeless, especially with those who also wanted to get active and play soccer.

The "coaches" are UVA students and community volunteers, ranging from Hope Community Center employees to students from Covenant High School. The program has been privileged to use one of the Hope Community Center vans, which makes play possible because the guys are scattered throughout different locations in Charlottesville.

In such a small population soccer is hard to sell. The team played basketball the entire first semester, occasionally kicking around, but second semester was much more promising. With the help of friends and the Hope Van, Street Soccer CVL conducted small 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 practices. After February, they started team stretching, drilling, running a lap before play, and conducting scrimmages with local players.

The team has really expanded everyone's social network. Now the team includes players from Southeast Asia, University Students, and people from the streets of C-ville. The atmosphere feels completely normal, fun, and inspiring! Students, volunteers, and players have really learned how sports, in this case soccer, can help us all.

WHO WE ARE: Contender #3- The Chicago Ice

One night Jason Holmes was sitting at home watching television when he turned on ESPN and saw the documentary, "Kicking It", which follows the journey of several players as they prepare for the 2006 Homeless World Cup in South Africa. Inspired by the film, Jason decided to bring the concept to Chicago. Despite no prior soccer experience, Jason eagerly took on the challenge as organizer and coach.



Under Jason's guidance the Chicago program has flourished on the field and more importantly, off the field. Since September, thirteen players have transitioned into permanent housing. The changes among Chicago players over the past months were so dramatic that it warranted a name change. Formerly the Chicago Inferno, the team decided to disassociate itself with a name that invoked uncontrolled chaos. Instead they now go by "the Ice" a name that mirrors the calmer, more stable lifestyles that they have adopted.

The team has finished league play for the year, but continues to hold scrimmages. Most recently they faced off against the Raptors of Shaumburg, IL. Both teams dedication and love of the game were seen when a match that was estimated to last only an hour went on for three.

While the Ice look forward to the Street Soccer USA Cup this summer, Jason and his volunteers have a larger goal in mind of continuing to expand the program in Chicago and using athletics to give participants confidence, dignity, and independence.


You can learn more about the Chicago program at their website Street Soccer Chicago.

DC United's Thabiso "Boyzzz" Khumalo Visits Street Soccer DC

DC United Mid-Fielder, Thabiso "Boyzzz" Khumalo, joined the Street Soccer DC practice this week. Generous with his time, Boyzzz spent time talking with the players, answering questions and even offered to come back for a visit and support their efforts as the work toward the SSUSA Cup.



Boyzzz pictured here (Right) with Megan Hustings (National Coalition for the Homeless) and Chris Parkinson (Street Soccer D.C)

Boyzz was born and raised in Soweto, South Africa, and in fact is still connected to home through his foundation that aims to offer scholarship for South African youth to study in the United States.

Boyzzz was signed by D.C. United on 9/12 and made his club debut on 9/13 in 2-2 draw with FC Dallas. His first League goal came in United's 5-2 loss to the LA Galaxy on 10/20. He finished the season with seven League appearances (six starts) and notched a goal and an assist in 468 minutes on the field. He also played in all six CONCACAF Champions League games (four starts).

Street Soccer DC thanks DC United and Boyzzz, and Linh Le for coming out to visit the team.

WHO WE ARE: Contender #2- Forth Worth NTX Stars

In October, 2008, Dr. Warren Wilson and Karla Gray began discussing the possibility of becoming involved in the Street Soccer program in Fort Worth. Both had participated in sports all their lives, but neither had played soccer. Undaunted, they moved forward in faith and in December, they met Griff Jacobsen, who volunteered to help coach the team. The Presbyterian Night Shelter, located in the Near East Side area of Forth Worth, kindly offered a place for the team to meet during inclement weather. Another business person in the area donated the use of a vacant field, where players meet on Mondays and Wednesdays for practice.

Over the next few months, the program evolved. Ryan Robbins signed on as coach and Warren Wilson moved on to other ventures. Now, with the help of volunteers around the community, the Fort Worth Program is thriving. Two evenings each week, you can drive past the playing field and find from eight to 15 young men deeply involved in the game.

"These guys have learned to lie for survival and not to trust anyone," says Gray, "The day they open up and begin to trust us is the day we can start helping them to change their lives.

And change their lives is exactly what is happening. One player is taking his GED in hopes to start college in the fall. One player is studying for his ASVAB test to fulfill his dream of joining the army and yet another is leaving soon for his first mission trip, one step closer to his goal of becoming a minister.

The Street Soccer Forth Worth team has taken on a wide array of challengers since its formation last year. They have traveled to Texas Christian University and scrimmaged against the TCU Women's Soccer Team and went to Austin to face off against the Street Soccer Austin squad. To follow their progress as they prepare for this summer's 2009 Street Soccer USA Cup, go to www.streetsoccertexas.org