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Soccer Without Borders (SWB) Co-Founder and Executive Director Mary Connor was recently featured in Soccer America, the oldest soccer-specific media publisher in the United States.
In light of the recent 2022 Men's World Cup, the article, entitled "Mary Connor on Soccer's Power to Create a Sense of Belonging", connects the global impact of the game with SWB's mission:
"For millions of people around the globe, borders mean something much different. Facing pressures of politics or poverty, they leave the land of their birth for an uncertain future. The journey is especially wrenching for children. Arriving in a new place, they must learn a new language, make new friends, learn new customs.
Soccer can be a crucial bridge. The field is where they meet people, are active, and – perhaps for the first time in their lives – get to be kids."
From moving to Germany as a child to lacing up her boots as a professional soccer player, the article by sharing the Mary's journey from player, coach, to co-founder of SWB.
"As a player and a coach, Connor kept track of statistics. Now she understands that 'soccer is not about numbers. It's about connections. That's what makes the world of soccer so meaningful.'
And although it's a world with borders, her organization proves that soccer can move far beyond them."