#playforchange

Stories from
the Field

With year-round activities happening across our hubs in Nicaragua, Uganda, and the United States, there is no shortage of inspiring stories to share. Stay up to date with all of the latest news around Soccer Without Borders through our blog, newsletters, and social media.

Soccer without Borders

Jun 7, 2019

Soccer Without Borders Seattle and Get Moving Team Up to Run Summer Soccer League

With support from a Get Moving grant from the Seattle Parks Department, Soccer Without Borders is running a five-week summer soccer league for newcomer immigrant, refugee and asylee youth. The league is open to high-school aged boys and will be held on Wednesday nights in July and early August in South Seattle. There is no cost to participate. Soccer Without Borders’ mission is to use soccer as a vehicle for positive change, providing newcomer immigrant, refugee and asylee y

Rethinking Competition: How SWB In-House Leagues Promote Socio-Emotional Learning and Healthy Play

Soccer without Borders

Apr 24, 2019

Rethinking Competition: How SWB In-House Leagues Promote Socio-Emotional Learning and Healthy Play

What was the world's biggest soccer competition of the past winter? The SWB Champions League! Featuring eight high school-aged SWB Oakland teams—in addition to a team of alumni—we ran our own in-house league this winter, combining quality soccer, healthy competition, and SWB values. With the SWB Champions League, we brought organized league play to our participants, but also included several aspects sometimes absent from youth soccer. Fair Play Points: At the end of each game

Soccer without Borders

Sep 5, 2018

Intern Spotlight: Bella Reiss

Bella Reiss, now a senior year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, joined SWB this summer as a Program Intern in Boston, MA. After wrapping up her time as our summer intern, Bella shared reflections about her work and experiences collaborating both on and off the field with SWB’s National Office and Boston Program. My time with Soccer Without Borders in Boston came about somewhat unconventionally. Originally, I was set to travel to SWB’s program in Granada, Ni

Soccer without Borders

Aug 30, 2018

The Language of Soccer

“So, where are you all from?” “I’m from Haiti!" “Puerto Rico!” “Venezuela!” “Costa Rica!” “Panama!” And it doesn’t stop there; El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Morocco and Cape Verde were also represented on August 6th by the almost 40 participants of the FHI 360 Youth Soccer and ESL Sports Visitor program and SWB Boston soccer clinic. These participants would spend the next 5 mornings together developing their soccer skills by participating in drills and scrimmages

SWB Boston’s Middle School Boys’ Tradition to Promote Sportsmanship

Soccer without Borders

May 7, 2018

SWB Boston’s Middle School Boys’ Tradition to Promote Sportsmanship

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen" - John Wooden Soccer Without Borders strives to harness the potential of soccer to foster mutual respect, build community, and promote peace. Last year, Coach Bruno and the SWB Boston middle school boys' team began a special pre-game tradition that has been able accomplish this. Inspired by a ritual often performed before professional soccer matches, the tradition involves SWB captains giving a gif

A wonderful side of soccer -- helping kids feel like they belong

Soccer without Borders

Feb 7, 2018

A wonderful side of soccer -- helping kids feel like they belong

SWB Oakland was recently featured in Soccer America with an article written by Lauren Markham. Lauren is a writer based in Berkeley, CA focusing on issues related to youth, migration, and the environment. Her work has appeared in such outlets as The New York Times, VICE, Orion, the New Yorker.com, The Guardian, Guernica, and VQR. For the past 5 years, she has also been the Community School Program Manager at Oakland International High School - a long time partner of SWB! A wo

Soccer without Borders

Jan 10, 2017

Newcomers to USA get a boost from Soccer Without Borders: Meet founder Ben Gucciardi

"Time and time again, we see our graduates go on to not only be successful for themselves, but to think of giving back to the community. Since so many of them have been through great challenges, when they begin to have some success, they always want to help others navigate their own struggles." Read here this Q&A in Soccer America with our Founder Ben Gucciardi. #News #Oakland #soccer #playforchange

Soccer without Borders

May 31, 2016

Building Bridges through Sports

As the 2016 Lipman Family Prize winner from the McNulty School of Leadership at the Wharton School of Business, Soccer Without Borders was recently featured in a video and podcast on Knowledge@Wharton. The Wharton website reads: "Each year, the University of Pennsylvania awards one organization the Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize in recognition of great leadership and innovation in creating positive social impact. The 2016 winner is Soccer Without Borders. Chosen from among

Soccer without Borders

Oct 14, 2015

Vassar Women to Host Soccer Without Borders Clinic Saturday

The Vassar Women's Soccer Team partners with Positive Tracks to host a Soccer Without Borders clinic this Saturday Download the flyer here! "The Vassar women's soccer team will be holding a free kids clinic this Saturday, October 17 following its game against the Rochester Institute of Technology. The clinic coincides with 'Soccer Without Borders, a non-profit organization that uses soccer as a vehicle for positive change across the world'." Read the full release at www.v

Colorado College Plays for Change vs. University of Wyoming

Soccer without Borders

Oct 2, 2015

Colorado College Plays for Change vs. University of Wyoming

Colorado College to dedicate upcoming match against Wyoming to Soccer Without Borders, powered by Positive Tracks! "Colorado College renews its commitment to community service on an international level when the Tigers hold their annual Soccer Without Borders Day in conjunction with Sunday’s game against Wyoming. SWB is a non-profit organization that operates seven year-round program sites in four countries on three continents. Its mission is to use soccer as a vehicle for pos

Soccer without Borders

Sep 17, 2015

Tufts Women's Soccer to Support Soccer Without Borders Cause at Saturday's game

Tufts Women's Soccer Team to support Soccer Without Borders in their match against Connecticut College! "SWB helps provide opportunities for under-served girls in the US and around the world to get in the game. Tufts Women's Soccer players and coaches have volunteered for Soccer Without Borders in Boston and in Nicaragua, serving as role models and coaches to hundreds of girls, most playing soccer for the first time. This weekend, for the fifth year in a row, Tufts Women's So

Ruffneck Scarves becomes Official Scarf provider of SWB

Soccer without Borders

Aug 31, 2015

Ruffneck Scarves becomes Official Scarf provider of SWB

Soccer Without Borders (SWB) is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Ruffneck Scarves as its official scarf provider. Ruffneck, an official scarf supplier of U.S. Soccer, Major League Soccer (MLS), USL, and the NCAA, was founded with a goal of promoting the greatest game in the world by providing fans with high-quality soccer scarves. “We are very excited about formalizing our partnership with Soccer Without Borders. SWB does so many great things for children both d

Stories from the Field

Stories from
the Field