Congolese Refugee: Communication is key.
15-year-old Chris is one of many refugee youth Soccer In The Streets works with. When he was eight years old, Chris moved from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the U.S. Today, he plays soccer with Soccer In The Streets weekly.
In Clarkston, Georgia, Soccer in the Streets provides social change through soccer to refugees, immigrants and local youth. The nonprofit organization knows that soccer gives refugees a familiar medium in a world that is anything but familiar. Programs run by Soccer in the Streets provide a way for refugee families to connect, making it possible for youth and their families to build a supportive network as they settle into life in the U.S. (You can support these programs here.)
15-year-old Chris is one of many refugee youth Soccer in the Streets works with. When he was eight years old, Chris moved from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the U.S. Today, he plays soccer with Soccer in the Streets weekly.
Chris and Soccer in the Streets participants train at least twice a week and compete in games on weekends in and around Clarkston. Here, Chris shares his thoughts and experiences on moving to the U.S., joining Soccer in the Streets’ programs and what he loves most about playing soccer.
What was moving to the U.S. like for you?
The experience of moving for me was pretty rough and tough because it was long for us to move. Some of our family didn’t have the papers, and some people had to stay. It was really difficult.
How did it feel once the moving process was done and you arrived in the U.S.?
We was happy that we got to the United States safe and good, but the sad part was that the other part of our family stayed back home.
How did you find Soccer In The Streets?
After we had moved to the city, I met some new friends that introduced me to the city, and they said, “Do you want to play soccer?” I said “Yes.” And there was a soccer program around [Clarkston, Georgia] where I lived, so that’s when they introduced me to Soccer in the Streets.
How has Soccer in the Streets helped you?
It helped me from developing when I was young. Soccer in the Streets is like a family to me because when I first came, I wasn’t really that good and now I’ve trained with them and I’ve done everything and I’ve really done some improving.
What do you love most about playing here in Clarkston?
I like the communication. You might see someone that is your soccer player friend, and you may speak the same language while playing soccer, which is a good thing. Communication is the most key part.
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Soccer in the Streets Awarded $24,000 from U.S. Soccer Foundation
Soccer in the Streets today announced it has been awarded a $24,000 grant from the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the national model for sports-based youth development programs in underserved communities. This grant is intended to fund the Station Soccer Club Program, an initiative to provide access to quality free youth programming utilizing mass transit systems. Soccer in the Streets was one of five organizations to receive a grant.
The Grant is Set to Fund Innovative and Non-Traditional Soccer Programming at Station Soccer
(ATLANTA, GA) - Soccer in the Streets today announced it has been awarded a $24,000 grant from the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the national model for sports-based youth development programs in underserved communities. This grant is intended to fund the Station Soccer Club Program, an initiative to provide access to quality free youth programming utilizing mass transit systems. Soccer in the Streets was one of five organizations to receive a grant.
"Our Station Soccer Club Program is a new way to bring communities together from around the city through transit," said Soccer in the Streets' Executive Director, Phil Hill. "We are grateful to the U.S. Soccer Foundation for backing this unique vision."
In late 2016, thanks to a partnership with the Atlanta United Foundation and MARTA, Soccer in the Streets launched Station Soccer and its club program concept, an initiative that brings soccer to urban areas in a new way. It involves a network of mini soccer fields and program sites clustered inside or around transportation hubs. Children from underserved neighborhoods play at the station and use it as a way to connect with other communities across the city, uniting youth from different backgrounds and ethnicities though sports.
In a pursuance of sustainability, Soccer in the Streets also runs pay-to-play adult leagues at Station Soccer, providing a source for developmental youth coaching and generating funds for their free youth programming. Since its first youth program kicked off, Station Soccer has serviced over 1,000 kids, delivered over 60 sessions and hosted several community soccer engagements. Before Station Soccer, Soccer in the Streets was already providing more than 4,500 children with after school and community-based sports programs in 2016 alone.
This grant was awarded as part of the U.S. Soccer Foundation's annual Program Grants. Each year, the Foundation identifies one specific category or theme in the sports-based youth development world, and seeks to support organizations that are related to such categories. This Program Grant was awarded under the theme of 'Innovative and Non-Traditional Soccer Programming' to Soccer in the Streets.
In late spring, Soccer in the Streets was presented with the 2017 Urban Soccer Symposium Innovation Award, for imaginative tactics and original programming to create positive social change in underserved communities. 'Station Soccer', the first field in the world inside a metro station, played a center role in receiving this distinction.
"The U.S. Soccer Foundation is excited to support these grant recipients in their continued efforts to leverage the game of soccer for social change and create equal access to safe places to play for all communities," said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. "These grants will help introduce youth to the game of soccer and promote a culture of health in communities across the country."
Since its inception in 1994, the U.S. Soccer Foundation has awarded more than $100 million in grants to non-profit organizations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
NSCAA Newcomer Works to Grow the Game in Atlanta
As a talented youth player, she represented her state and her region in the Olympic Development Program, then went on to lead the University of Georgia to three straight appearances in the NCAA tournament from 2007-2009.
Lauren Glancy has spent most of her life around soccer fields.
As a talented youth player, she represented her state and her region in the Olympic Development Program, then went on to lead the University of Georgia to three straight appearances in the NCAA tournament from 2007-2009.
Upon graduation, Glancy moved into coaching at both the club and high school level before becoming an athletic director at Atlanta Classical Academy. Now she serves as the Director of Coaching and Education for Soccer in the Streets, a non-profit grassroots organization that uses soccer for social change, aiming to transform the lives of thousands of children in the metro Atlanta area.
“I work primarily with our staff coaches and junior coaches at Soccer in the Streets. My role is to train coaches to implement the curriculum we have developed for the programs,” said Glancy. “The curriculum pairs character development and life skills with soccer lessons. So when you’re working on passing, you’re also working on communication. When you’re working on dribbling, you’re also working on self control.”
ENGAGING WITH THE NSCAA AND IMPACTING COACHES
Glancy, who has earned four NSCAA diplomas since joining Soccer in the Streets one year ago, credits the NSCAA for not only playing a pivotal role in her growth as a DOC, but also for ultimately impacting countless other coaches, players and programs that are affiliated with Soccer in the Streets.
“The NSCAA has totally influenced me as a professional and it has given me the opportunity to pass down knowledge to our coaching staff,” said Glancy. “It’s so important to get the correct information and appropriate approach to our coaches. What I learn through the NSCAA will impact our coaches’ framework, curriculum and delivery, positively influencing the quality of training and education.”
After starting with the Small-Sided Games online course, Glancy received her Futsal and Goalkeeping Level 1 Diplomas at the NSCAA Convention in Los Angeles, followed by the completion of the NSCAA National Diploma in Gainesville, Georgia. She's also active in the Atlanta United Coach Education Program and an advocate for female leaders in the sport.
Her enthusiasm for learning is an ideal she hopes to instill in the children of all ages involved with Soccer in the Streets’ free training sessions, workshops and other events.
BECOMING A COACH IS ABOUT THE JOURNEY
“When our youth see that they have an opportunity to accomplish great things and have avenues to pursue their dreams, they become much more motivated and focused,” said Glancy. “They see what we’re doing and they want to be like that because they look up to us.”
That mentorship is a quality she has witnessed herself firsthand through the NSCAA’s network of more than 30,000 coaches at all levels of the game.
“Through the membership, you get to meet extraordinary people and connect with people who are doing similar work as you,” said Glancy. “They can have an impact on what you’re doing. The membership alone is very valuable in that sense.”
As a recipient of the Ron McEachen Fund scholarship from the NSCAA Foundation, Glancy will attend the NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma Course in Rome, Georgia this summer. In many ways, the opportunity for Glancy mirrors the opportunities that her work at Soccer in the Streets continues to provide for boys and girls across the Atlanta area – many of whom have never played the sport due to financial barriers.
“The progress the kids have made just in a year has been really amazing to watch,” said Glancy. “I’m very excited to see where this journey takes me.”
* Published by NSCAA