Soccer Without Borders Blog

Professional teams to support SWB this summer

Ben — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:30:48 +0000

This summer, we are incredibly excited and appreciative of the professional teams who will welcome SWB program youth and coaches to their games!

SWB Greeley will head down to Denver to support the CO Rapids as they take on the Seattle Sounders on June 14thSWB Chicago will be honored at halftime of the Schneider Soccer featured match on June 29thSWB Nicaragua Exchange participants will head to the Boston Breakers vs. Sky Blue game on June 30thThe 3rd annual Girls in the Game Clinic will take place on July 20th at the Home Depot center before the Galaxy vs. Whitecaps gameSWB New York will cheer on Thierry Henry this July in New Jersey.

Reflections from the Urban Soccer Symposium

Ben — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:17:35 +0000

by Mary McVeigh

Every year, soccer coaches, clubs, associations, organizations, and supporters come together at the Urban Soccer Symposium (USS) hosted by the US Soccer Foundation. During this four-day event, we are able to examine and share best practices for delivering effective programs and growing exceptional organizations. SWB Founder Ben Gucciardi has presented at the Symposium in the past, and SWB Baltimore's Jill Pardini was among the presenters this year. Personally, I had the pleasure of attending this event for the first time this year and could see what an incredible effort the US Soccer Foundation and Soccer Shots put forth to realize their vision.

While listening, sharing, observing, and experiencing these workshops, speakers, and trainings, two particular themes emerged for me:

1. When working with youth, relationships are everything.

2. A lasting impact requires a long-term investment.

Etan Thomas, a retired NBA player, drove home the first point in his closing address on Monday, "If you want to work with youth, you have to build a connection first. If there is no connection, they aren't going to hear you."

His voice resonated as I attended a youth development workshop by the DC Children & Youth Investment Trust Corporation, which reiterated the same, "Every young person needs maybe just one adult, one person who believes in them. That's what coaches can be. "

The idea of connection, trust, and showing youth that you believe in them is not revolutionary, but given the circumstances in which many of programs operate, it does not happen by accident. With this idea top of mind, I thought about the ways that programs can prioritize this connection:

-Low coach-to-participant ratios.

-Retaining effective program leaders over time.

-Recruiting program leaders and coaches from within the community they serve.

-Providing avenues for young leaders to emerge out of the program.

-Investing in on-going training for coaches and leaders.

-Ensuring that program youth have a voice and that their voice is heard.

...to name a few. The list is long, and takes great care and intention to implement consistently and effectively.

With that trust established, there is still a question of how to maximize the impact of your program in the long run. Long-term impact means a long-term investment, which requires patience and a true appreciation of the process it takes to get there. In his opening speech, Darrin Smith (retired NFL) said of his Super Bowl championships, "It wasn't winning the Super Bowl that was significant, it was the process leading up to it. The lifting weights, the playing in the hot sun, the relationships...the process was what mattered."

That process isn't always glamorous, nor is the perfect outcome immediately clear or always achievable, but the commitment, cooperation, effort, problem solving, and conflict resolution along the way are skills that youth can apply to any goal, any field, any arena.

As I made my way back to Boston from the Symposium, these two themes echoed in my mind and reaffirmed my commitment to the SWB's core values: authenticity, focus on the whole person, and process-oriented. Without the first two, we could never build genuine relationships and earn the trust of those whom we aim to serve. Without the third, we might let the desire and pressure for outcomes trump the process. Our daily actions, patience, investment and belief in our young people are most important. Only through these means will we inspire the ends: growth, inclusion, and personal success.

Healthy Me, Healthy World

Ben — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:59:40 +0000

by Allie Horwitz, Team Leader, SWB Granada

Here at Fútbol Sin Fronteras, we just wrapped up our first week-long taller (workshop) of the season. We kicked off a series of workshops themed “Healthy Me, Healthy World” with a week focused solely on nutrition and a healthy body. On Tuesday, we received an awesome nutrition lecture and presentation from the head of agriculture from a nearby technical school, Opportunity International. Saúl presented the food pyramid and explained what foods are best to eat as female soccer players (No milk before practice, grains give you energy!). He then led the girls through several dynamic grouping games, which they raucously enjoyed!

On Thursday, we began the activity with a fun review game of the pyramid. We quizzed the girls on what they had learned Tuesday, and if they answered the question correctly, they had to place one of six food items in the correct section of the food pyramid on the wall. It turns out that cucumbers are actually a fruit!

Next, we had our own mini-market. At each stand, we explained a different fruit or vegetable. We talked about its nutrients and benefits and then offered the girls an opportunity to taste the food in some delicious form. In small groups, girls rotated around the room to learn what each station had to offer and tasted each food excitedly (minus perhaps the beets). To finish the night, each girl received a bean in a cup as they left that they are now growing in their homes and giving it plenty of sunlight and water!

To cap off the week, we took a short trip to the nearby Diria Mirador where we enjoyed a short hike. Saúl accompanied us and explained a little bit about the flora and fauna that flourish in and around Laguna de Apoyo. This final activity gave a grander perspective to our nutrition taller. We interact with our natural environments in what we eat and in everything we do, Saúl explained to the girls. The hike provided for a physically active opportunity, of course another important element of a healthy body.

The girls enjoyed learning not only about healthy foods, but also a bit about agriculture and growing something of their own. They learned several useful ideas for making healthy meals and snacks with their families. And finally they experienced how everything we eat is connected to the greater natural environment. A healthy you is a great first step to contributing to a healthy world!

A Visit to SEP and TYSA

Ben — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:02:45 +0000

by Katy Nagy, Team Leader at SWB Uganda

Sara, Festus, Katy, and George

Last week, Sara and I traveled to western Kenya to visit two of SWB Uganda’s fellow Streetfootballworld East Africa network members. After meeting them at the Streetfootballworld conference in Rwanda last September, and we were fortunate enough to have volunteers from SEP and TYSA join us during our Youth Festival in January. After hearing so much about the incredible work that SEP and TYSA are involved in, we decided that it was our turn to visit them.

Our first stop was Oyugis, Kenya to visit Society Empowerment Project (SEP). We were welcomed with open arms by the Young Leader (and our good friend), George, who was excited to introduce us to the rest of the SEP staff and to show us what SEP does. During our visit, we helped run a training at the Nyahera Girls’ school, we spoke to the girls about the way lessons that are learned on the pitch can be tranferred into their lives off the pitch, and we helped to plant about 200 trees on SEP’s farm during Earth Hour (now called “The Soccer Without Borders Forest!”). The best part of the visit to SEP, though, was the opportunity to talk to the staff and participants about the organization, to learn more about all that SEP does, and to feel welcomed as if we were already part of the community. We spoke to participants who have benefitted greatly from SEP’s programs. We spoke to participants who would not be able to go to school without SEP’s support. We spoke to participants who have gained coaching skills and are now able to coach younger participants. It was impressive to hear about the impact that SEP has had on the community, and to know that its influence in the community is only growing as the organization grows.

Sara, Katy, and George planting trees

After 3½ days at SEP, it was time to say goodbye to our friends in Oyugis and to head to Kitale to visit the Trans-Nzoia Youth Sports Association (TYSA). Again, we were reunited with our friends who we met in Rwanda and at our festival in January. The TYSA staff was immediately welcoming, and we were eager to learn all we could from them. The two days we spent in Kitale were filled with visiting schools, playing games, talking to staff and participants, learning about the amazing work that TYSA does, and enjoying our time with our friends. TYSA is currently in the process of expanding its reach by partnering with many schools in the area. We had the opportunity to visit some of those schools and to play games with the students. Those visits made it very clear how important TYSA’s work is. One school that we visited was a government-supported primary school with over 100 students in each class. We also visited a secondary school and joined a meeting of parents, students and teachers. We listened to the students speak about the difficulties they were having with their studies, and we were able to speak to them to give some advice. At the end of the second day, we visited a children’s home to play some games with the kids. After the owner gave us a tour and explained the way poverty, illness, drug abuse, and other factors in that area create a need for the children’s home, we organized some games and activities for the kids. The home is simple, but it is so important. It was further proof of TYSA’s impressive reach and commitment to the communities in the area.

Throughout our visit to TYSA, it was clear that the organization’s inspiring work is made possible by its leadership and staff. Gichuki, the program director, places much emphasis on empowering the staff to take ownership and become leaders. It is clear that that has become part of the organization’s culture, as their goal is to train teachers in the schools to lead the soccer/physical programming on a daily basis. It is this emphasis on sustainability and empowerment that most impressed and inspired us while we were in Kitale.

We left Kitale and headed back to Kampala after a week of learning and a lot of fun in Oyugis and Kitale. We were sad to say goodbye to our friends at SEP and TYSA, but we are also excited to take what we have learned back to Soccer Without Borders. Each of the organizations taught us so much, and we have gained an appreciation for the value of partnerships and networks of organizations that exist across borders and cultures.

Five years and counting- FSF Granada celebrates its anniversary

Ben — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:07:32 +0000

by Mary McVeigh

See the history of the program in pictures in this album!

One of the reasons I was drawn to Soccer Without Borders in the first place was its commitment to authenticity: honoring the value and voice of local stakeholders to shape the direction of the program. As one of SWB's three core values, my understanding of authenticity has evolved tremendously over the last five years as we have worked alongside the community of Granada to build this program. I've learned that creating a program that authentically addresses the most pressing needs of the community is not as simple as providing resources and materials, training local leaders, and stepping aside to see if change grows out of the norm. Authenticity is neither stepping aside nor standing behind, it is a lengthy process of evaluating strengths and weaknesses, hopes and challenges, and working together to have them align: an authentic collaboration.

In honor of the program's five year anniversary, we invited past volunteers, local coaches, and longtime supporters to gather in Granada for a week of reflection, celebration and, as always, creative and unique activities. During Thursday's evening event, the coaches and past volunteers organized an activity called "Past, Present, and Future", with each floor of the FSF oficina representing one of those points in time. For the past, a video highlight reel and photo timeline, with each girl asked to sign the timeline at the point she came into FSF, and caption her favorite photos. For the present, a chance to snap a photo and write a letter for a time capsule, capturing the current moment to look back on in another five years. For the future, a mosaic of dreams for the program, with each girl asked to imagine her ideal Futbol Sin Fronteras in 2018 and contribute a square.

As if the sheer artistry weren't enough, the imagination and dreaming was overwhelming as the girls showed off their depictions of FSF in the future. There were elaborate drawings of the world with players from all over holding hands and donning FSF uniforms. There were captions: "I've graduated school" "I'm attending university" with pictures of pencils, teachers, schools. There were drawings of the National Stadium, with our Mariposa team in the starting lineup. More common than anything else, though, there were representations of team, with full hearts and hands linked, revealing the shared hope that this common bond will still be here for the girls in five, ten, twenty years. Love and friendship- born in a safe space where a girl is free to be herself, to become herself- are the foundations on which the rest is built.

Addressing longstanding challenges to forge new paths requires an authentic collaboration of stakeholders with different ideas, talents, backgrounds, resources, and understanding. Parents, city leaders, coaches, teachers, artists, researchers, men, women...and most importantly the girls themselves provide critical input as to how to work within the cultural system respectfully yet open the door to new opportunities. As with any collaboration, maneuvering through language, experience, opinion, ego, belief systems, and stereotypes from all sides can easily derail the process. To have reached this milestone of five years, and to see the mosaic of dreams for FSF that the girls created, says that this collaboration is one that the girls, the coaches, and the community have embraced.

Together, we are ready to bring that mosaic to life during the next five years. Thank you to all of those who have been a part of our history thus far, and for supporting FSF to forge these paths in the community of Granada and beyond.

Oakland U19 Girls Head to Calaveras Big Trees State Park

Ben — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:48:00 +0000

by Allie Cuozzo

A few weeks ago, I moved to Oakland from Massachusetts where I grew up building igloo forts in our back yard, creating enormous hockey rinks with neighbors, and making snowmen after school with friends. On Friday night before ‘The Snow Trip,’ I tried to imagine the feeling I had the first time I ever played in the snow; I couldn’t recall it. Perhaps I was too little or perhaps it quickly became ordinary each winter yet this past Saturday proved that playing in snow for the first time (especially with twenty-one other teammates) is no ordinary experience.

Numbers at a Glance
22 incredible girls = 44 gloves to keep 220 little fingers warm. 5 packed cars that ascended a total of 30,000 ft. of windy Californian mountains until reaching Calaveras Big Trees State Park. 5 awesome chauffers/coaches who filled gas tanks, sung songs, pushed sleds, made sandwiches and were game to getting tackled in the snow.

For the majority of the 22 girls who went on the snow trip, this was their first time seeing snow, as the weather in the majority of their home countries isn’t inclined for icy white conditions. (For example, the last snowfall in Mexico City was on December 2, 1967!). Oakland’s U19 player Fernanda who is from Guatemala said, “I liked the trip because all of us went together,” as she joined and interlocked her right and left hands, while simultaneously juggling the soccer ball and grinning from ear to ear. The Snow Trip did just that. It was an opportunity to unite the girls in a place other than on a green soccer field. Watching eager eyes take in the beautiful park that offered such a fresh perspective and shift of scenery from their Oakland routine was truly incredible and quite humbling.

The day consisted of sledding, making snow creations, snow soccer, and a quick stop to see the giant sequoia trees. The stump of the tree we were juggling on was 1,244 years old when it fell and since it was over 24ft in diameter, we could all fit easily.

Trying to understand how people do things or see things for the first time is in many ways what makes SWB so special. Everyone holds an inherent set of beliefs, customs, and experiences that your family, your environment, etc., shape. Yet SWB opens an opportunity and space to share what you know, listen and learn about what you may not, and find neat niches and chances to experience a new idea, new place or new, snowy sledding hill together.

We are very grateful to Bay Area Wilderness Training who made sure that all of the girls were geared up with jackets, snow pants and warm gloves. Thank you so much!

Perspectives from Kampala: Wrapping up SWB's Ugandan Youth Festival

Ben — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:20:47 +0000

From January 3 – 8, Soccer Without Borders hosted the Second Annual Kampala Youth Festival in Nsambya, Kampala. This year’s theme was Healthy and Peaceful Living. Each day of the event, the number of participants exceeded 200, and most days, the number reached close to 300. Young people of all ages and from many different nations, including Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, came together to enjoy themselves, make new friends, and strengthen the community.

Because of the large numbers of participants during the week, the regular SWB Uganda staff is joined by coaches from other community organizations around Nsambya as well as short term volunteers that spend the week coaching and leading activities. This year, coaches from streetfootballworld network members Sport Empowerment Project of Kenya and TYSA helped out during the festival. Additionally, volunteers from the US and Canada spent two weeks coaching, teaching and learning. The festival not only provides a meaningful space for community recreation and celebration for participants, but also provides a platform for cultural exchange and an opportunity for the coaches themselves to expand their perspective of what healthy and peaceful living means. Below, we hear from many of the festival’s volunteer coaches. SWB would like to extend a huge hand to each of these people for their efforts and willingness to share.

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"The 2nd Annual Soccer Without Borders Peace Festival is probably one of the most exciting, rewarding, and exhausting festivals I have ever been a part of. We had anywhere from two-hundred to three-hundred kids at a time attending the festival each day, with about forty to fifty of them belonging to my age group. I had the youngest age group, which was supposed to be "under-6", but I had no idea that meant ALL ages under 6 including two and three-year-olds. It wasn't uncommon to see a 4-year-old or a 5-year-old carry their little brother or sister with them everyday to the festival. "

Manny Sardhina, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

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“The overall experience is very hard to put into words, but I will try. Life is an endless experience which elevates you and knocks you down. Going to Uganda and working with Soccer Without Borders has certainly elevated my life and brought a vast amount of knowledge about life that I would never have otherwise experienced. I have made many new friends, and shared many great stories with those new friends. I have memories that will last a lifetime, and a smile that will last even longer. Soccer Without Borders has shown me how soccer can truly be a strong vehicle for changing the paths of underserved youth. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, and I hope to send more Canadians your way in the future."

Colby O’Donnell, DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY

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"My visit to SWB started when we met the leaders of SWB in Rwanda. I feel very sensational when I meet different friends from different countries. When I was in Uganda, that was the way my friends from SWB changed my life.

My experience started on the 2nd of January 2013. There was a meeting which was held in the evening and attended by the coaches/volunteers who would run SWB’s 2 nd Annual Youth Festival. The event kicked off on the 3rd of January 2013. I was excited to enable the sharing of different ideas from different people and places.

The theme of the festival, HEALTHY AND PEACEFUL LIVING, means a lot to people because it includes ways to have good health and a peaceful life. Also, through the festival’s events, the community joined together, so it was a tool to build a stronger community. Every day, there was a talk about different topics. After the daily events, everyone gathered together to hear the speaker who focused on areas such as HIV/AIDS prevention and drugs. In the part of hygiene, they talked about things like hand washing by using soap."

- Osoya George, SOCIETY EMPOWERMENT PROJECT (SEP), KENYA

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"Soccer Without Borders was one of the best experiences of my life. At first I was skeptical of travelling alone to another country, having never travelled alone before. Shortly after arriving in Uganda, all fears or worries I had subsided and I was able to enjoy and soak in the surreal experience SWB offers. Between travelling through Uganda, and teaching little kids the importance of healthy living, Soccer Without Borders opened my eyes and has changed my life for the better. I was asked a question the first day I was there which I haven’t been able to answer until after reflecting on this experience. “What are your roots as in what do you hold onto during hard times? What are your branches and new experiences you want to engage in and finally, what are the leaves that you want to let go of?”

Looking back at my experience, I can safely say my roots were the happiness I saw in the
children. I knew that no matter what I saw and how it may have made me feel, the children and families knew that life is too short not to be happy and we should all be grateful for everything we have. My branches were definitely that I did not want to be held back or limited by any fears or skepticism I had going into the trip. I embraced everything to the fullest and truly got to live the cultural experience SWB offers."

- Adam Santoro, VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY

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“While in Uganda at SWB’s Youth Festival, I learned so much that I could go on forever; but oneof the most important things that I learned was how truly happy the kids are.

I tried to join in their fun, and have as much fun and energy as they did all day, which I believe may be impossible. These kids taught me to care less about things and to just relax and have fun. The SWB festival flew by faster than I could have ever imagined. But, the welcoming I felt from the local coaches, interns, and SWB kids, made returning to Uganda a must."

Lauren Alexander, SKIDMORE COLLEGE

Unidad- The 6th Annual TEAM Camp in Granada

Ben — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:59:59 +0000

by Allie Horwitz, Team Leader- Nicaragua

The Fiesta!A Fiesta at Tres Pisos ushered in a new year Sunday while a slideshow of last year’s memorable moments rolled, bachata and reggaeton beats filled the air, as volunteers and participants alike enjoyed tireless dancing and games. Afterwards, the start of camp was no less exciting on Monday.

The volunteers dove into the first camp practice and immediately began juggling, passing and playing with the girls as they suited up for the morning session. Split into the four Mariposa and Estrella teams, each combination of volunteers, interns and coaches put on a great dribbling practice amid the 90 degree heat. Lots of water breaks were a must! The afternoon activity featured Family Feud, where representatives from each of the four teams squared off in questions about each others likes, dislikes, families and much more. (Justin Beiber and Lionel Messi were two common responses).

On Tuesday, morning kicked off with an exciting version of freeze tag, before each team explored the day’s theme of cooperation through a passing game of monkey in the middle."Todo Sobre Mi" Brochure During Tuesday’s activities girls partook in a competition to that inspired cooperation including three-legged hula hoop relay races (pictured below.) Each day had a different theme that informed both soccer and activities. On Wednesday morning, participants learned and practiced new moves and ways to take on defenders. Given the theme of “confidence,” the highlight of Wednesday’s activities were the “Todo Sobre Mi” a brochure that each Estrella and Mariposa filled out, decorated and brought home. Each identified personality traits, likes and dislikes, goals and ambitions.

On Thursday, “Team Work” day, passing was reviewed and communication was key and practice was lively and exciting. During activities in the office, the girls had to overcome a series of obstacles together (a relay race with oranges, an egg toss) in order to save humankind from the end of the world (El Fin del Mundo!). Needless to say, they succeeded. On Friday, participants competed in a camp-wide Olympics where they contended for points in a series of stations including small-sided games, an obstacle course, and a relay race called the gauntlet. At the end, each team chose from a series of awesome prizes including shorts, bracelets, pencils and stickers. It was a perfect culmination to a week of excitement, learning and fun.

Three-Legged Race!Each day had a schedule of soccer in the morning and activities in the afternoon. Each day consisted of a countless number of interactions among the girls, the volunteers, the coaches, the interns and the community of Granada. Each day volunteers enjoyed different Nica customs, traditions, people and food. Each day someone learned something different. The girls (and interns) learned a new stretch from Tim and a new warm-up from Liz. The volunteers brushed up on their Spanish and consumed a healthy dose of Granadino culture. The girls experienced a variety of role models, invigorated old friendships and made exciting new ones. The energy all week was electric and dynamic. Everyone who was a part of camp left with a new sense of excitement and “unidad.”

Ultimately, camp brought to the girls much more than new cleats and balls- although this group of volunteers contributions to the bodega far surpassed expectations. Camp brought empowering role models who care, inspired conversations, big ideas, and lots of laughter. Most enduring, camp motivated excitement for soccer, for friendship and learning, and most of all for the future. Thank you so much volunteers!

The Inter-American Women's Soccer Exchange

Ben — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:21:05 +0000

Soccer Without Borders (“SWB”) is teaming up with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (“ECA”) SportsUnited Division this winter for the Inter-American Women’s Soccer Exchange (“Exchange”). The Exchange joins together a team of recently graduated U.S. Women’s NCAA Soccer Players with the growing girls’ and women’s soccer community of Nicaragua. In February, the group will head to Central America for the first phase of a two-way exchange between Nicaragua and the United States, as a part of the ECA SportsUnited Grants Program. Soccer Without Borders has been a key player in the growth of girls’ soccer in Nicaragua since 2008; this Exchange will deepen the impact of SWB’s work in the city of Granada, as well as identify and empower coaches and national advocates of girls’ soccer in Nicaragua. The first phase will bring U.S. players and coaches to Nicaragua, while Phase Two will bring Nicaraguan coaches and leaders to the U.S. later this year.

In partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Managua and FENIFUT, Phase One of the Exchange kicks off on February 24th in Granada, Nicaragua, the group will be coached by Ann Cook, Mary McVeigh and Maren Rojas—a trio at the forefront of women’s soccer in the U.S, both as players and coaches, combining for more than 35 years of coaching at the intercollegiate level. They will be assisted by Lindsey Whitford, the SWB Granada Program Coordinator and a former NCAA student-athlete at Lewis & Clark University.

The roster of players includes an impressive array of former NCAA student-athletes from across the United States. Players span all three NCAA Divisions and eight NCAA Conferences: The Big 10, The Big South, Conference USA, The Ivy League, Middle Atlantic Conference, New England Small Colleges Athletic Conference (NESCAC), Northwest Conference, and PAC 12. As a group, participants represent ten elite U.S. colleges and universities, and hail from ten different states.

Exchange participants and coaches will take their experiences and talents to three Nicaraguan cities, leading a series of skills clinics and coaching clinics with a focus on engaging girls, team-building, skill-building, practice design, and coaching strategies for Nicaragua’s young female soccer players and leaders. The Exchange will also feature two showcase games between the Nicaraguan U-20 Women’s National Team and the Exchange Team, to be held at the National Stadiums in Diriamba and Managua on Tuesday, February 26 and Thursday, February 28.

For more information on the Exchange, please contact Mary McVeigh at mary@soccerwithoutborders.org or 857-264-0097

More about Soccer Without Borders:

Soccer Without Borders is a 501c3 non-profit that runs community-led, year-round youth development programs in under-served areas in the USA and abroad. Soccer Without Borders’ mission is to use soccer as a vehicle for positive change, providing under-served youth with a toolkit to overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion, and personal success. Their programs use five activities to create a safe, engaging team environment in which youth can thrive: Soccer Play and Instruction, Team-building, Off-field Education, Civic Engagement, and Cultural Exchange.

More about SWB Granada:

Fútbol Sin Fronteras Granada has reached more than 2,000 girls in the city of Granada during its five years of programming, and serves 100 girls ages 7-16 five days per week, year round. They also train and sponsor the FSF Veteranas, currently the only women’s team in the city.

More about the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ SportsUnited Division: The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ SportsUnited Division leads the U.S. Department of State’s international exchange efforts to bring the global community together through sports. Under its International Sports Programming Initiative, public and private U.S. based non-profit organizations may submit proposals to address one of four themes: Youth Sports Engagement, Sport for Social Change, Sport and Disability, and Sport and Health. Since 2002, the division has awarded 86 grants to U.S. non-profits to conduct programs in 57 countries around the world.

More about the Exchange Team:

Complete bios for the Exchange coaches and players are available on the SWB Exchange website.

Ambassador Spotlight: Mollie Somers

Ben — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:57:32 +0000

This post comes from Mollie Somers, an SWB Ambassador from New Jersey. A big thank you to Mollie for her efforts!

I first became involved with SWB in 2010 after my attendance at Julie FoudyPeninsula uniforms supporting SWB in Solola, Guatemala, 2011 Sport Leadership Academy at The Peddie School. My mission upon leaving that camp was to complete a service activity. My group leader, Kay, suggested that my teammate and I organize a uniform drive and cleat drive to benefit Soccer Without Borders. Kay had just come back from volunteering with Soccer Without Borders in Nicaragua. She said that there was a need for gently used uniforms and cleats. My teammate and I were aware that locally, Peninsula Soccer Club was in the process of ordering new uniforms. We immediately contacted the club and emailed all of the coaches about our endeavor. To our surprise, one of the club coaches that responded to our email happens to have been Ben Gucciardi's college roommate. He placed us in direct contact with Ben. By the end of our project, my teammate and I were able to collect over 70 gently used uniforms and cleats from Peninsula. Our uniform donation was sent to Guatemala with Ava Murphey who later sent us pictures of our uniforms in action.

This past spring, while a freshman at The Peddie School, I decided to work towards earning the Congressional Youth Award Gold Medal. There is a 400 hour Voluntary Public Service component to achieving the Gold Award. I decided to speak with my school advisor, Courtney Jackson, about which organization to commit to serving. Ms. Jackson,Mollie on the field for Peddie knowing that I loved playing soccer, suggested that I become an SWB Ambassador and donate my time working towards helping to spread the mission of SWB. That day, I learned that Ms. Jackson had worked with the SWB Ambassador program in college. While online to register as a SWB Ambassador, I read that Soccer Without Borders Boston, was hosting Small Goals Big Change charity soccer tournament, in June at (BB&N) Buckingham, Brown and Nichols School. Yet another coincidence, as BB&N is my grandfather's alma mater. My advisor and I had talked about hosting a tournament of our own, the next year. In my excitement, I began to tell my advisor, a former college soccer player about this new information and my hopes to help out and learn more about hosting tournaments. When I told her of my plan to get in touch with Mary McVeigh, she was surprised. Ms. Jackson then informed me that Mary had been her soccer coach at Lehigh. I did go to Boston and had a great experience helping out at the tournament.

Later that summer I again learned of some exciting news when I was made aware that two local Clubs, Peninsulia and Ocean, were slated to buy new uniforms for the club. I immediately began to get in touch with those coaches and the players looking for donations of their gently used uniforms and outgrown cleats. I also, approached the local recreation department for donations of outgrown cleats. I was astounded with the response from the clubs’ members and local recreation department. They were all so willing to give and help out the cause, and when it was all over, I ended up with over 150 uniforms and over 100 pairs of cleats. I met so many wonderful people and helped spread the mission of SWB, and have encouraged other players to become involved with SWB. After working with those in Boston, I thought that Boston would be a great place to send the uniforms. So once again, I reached out to Mary and Ben informing them of the outrageous success of this equipment drive. I shared my hopes of donating to Boston. It was a success, and on December 30, the uniforms were sent to Boston. The cleats will be sent in January.

Working with Soccer Without Borders has been an amazing experience for me, and through it I have learned Mollie and her team about people and their desire to help, and I have been inspired by the humanity of others. Most of all have learned to make the best of every opportunity you are given, because it could become something amazing. Sometimes, you don't choose what happens to you and an opportunity chooses you. Three years ago, I never would have imagined myself as involved with SWB, as I have been lucky enough to gain so many experiences. I believe that I have been so successful with my projects because of the connections I have made and the people I have met, accompanied by my drive and ambition to see the projects through. I believe that working with SWB came to me by happenstance, almost as if everything was meant to happen. Sometimes the opportunity chose you. The experience I have had working with SWB is something I will never forget. I hope that I have been able to make an impact on those I have tried to help as much as SWB has helped and impacted me.