Street Soccer USA

Organización sin fines de lucro

Última modificación: 06/06/2012 21:54:39

Street Soccer USA's mission is soccer for social change.

Through our 20-city league we aim to get homeless men, women, and youth off the streets, "scoring goals on the field, and achieving their goals in life."

Street Soccer USA (SSUSA) believes ending homelessness is a team sport.

Through a systematic approach we:

1. Build community and trust through sports with participants and volunteers, transforming the context within which they live from one of isolation, abuse, and marginalization, to one of community, purpose, and achievement.

2. Require participants to set 3, 6, and 12-month life goals.

3. Empower participants by marrying clinical services to sport programming and providing access to educational/employment opportunities through our Jobs Academy.

Programs train thrice weekly, go out in the community to compete in local leagues with volunteers, and unite annually at our 20-city SSUSA Cup. By undergoing the SSUSA process, players improve social skills, self esteem, physical/mental health, and eliminate barriers to employment, making them more likely to achieve housing/job placement than their peers. Jobs Academies deliver resume writing, financial literacy, and workplace readiness in addition to a pool of resources (mentorship, employment partners, pro bono legal services, as well as counseling/services for trauma, drug abuse, and other barriers). Team leaders in 20 cities exchange best practices and co-develop new solutions for programming and sustainability on a conference call every six weeks. Select program ambassadors, male and female, represent SSUSA in various amateur tournaments, including the Homeless World Cup, each year.