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By: Zach Kilimann “What is peace?” “How can you be an advocate for peace in your school and your community?” “What can you change in the way you behave this week to be more prone towards peace?” Alternating between scissors and maradonas on the field, different mediums of art, and two-steps in the gym, students of different descent and native language discussed these questions and more regarding peace in their community. Over 700 students from John Evans Middle School shared in what was Soccer Without Borders Greeley’s first annual involvement in the Global Peace Games! Many of the students involved in Soccer Without Borders were given the opportunity to lead in this initiative, bringing their fellow classmates along as they partook in SWB’s model of Football3. At the end of the day, these students had a mutual experience of sweat, laughs, and intentional discovery that is one step towards to a more inclusive and peaceful community of which they can claim as their own.

Soccer Without Borders is excited to welcome Casey Thomas as the new Director of SWB Baltimore. Casey brings extensive grant management and program implementation experience, having coordinated out-of-school programming for youth from more than 80 schools across Baltimore while working for the public school system. An SWB Baltimore volunteer for the last two years, Casey's professional experience is underpinned by a master's degree in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School at Brandeis, where her practicum work focused on sport as an effective intervention for social change in Colombia. We couldn't ask for a better fit to take the helm of this growing and dynamic program. As we welcome Casey to her new role, we thank SWB Baltimore founder and outgoing Director Jill Pardini for her incredible service to the Baltimore newcomer community. We wish Jill the very best as she continues her work on behalf of youth outcomes at the Baltimore City Mayor's Office. Please join us in welcoming Casey to the Soccer Without Borders family! Email Casey. #Baltimore #usa #newcomer #refugee #immigrant

Originally published on the Huffington Post Impact Blog, October 6, 2014. Follow SWB on the Huffington Post! September, for me, will always be synonymous with soccer. To be sure, the smell of freshly cut grass and the twinkle of the stadium lights will never leave me. As a former collegiate coach, the fall brings memories full of laughter, exhaustion, hard work, friendship, pain, and joy. A wave of possibility washes over me every September: the possibility of greatness. Teams kick off the season wondering what the months ahead will hold and committing to pursue collective greatness. This pursuit, they well know, is not without sacrifice. Placing the team above self is a prerequisite for success in competitive sports; I appreciate and congratulate the sacrifices that coaches, players, trainers, and staff will make for one another this fall. Still, I can't help but wonder what constitutes a worthwhile sacrifice. Is it wins, a championship, or their pursuit? Perhaps it's the moments in between: the laughter, the friendships, and the shared purpose. By far my favorite part of being a college coach was the opportunity to shape and influence young adults in their pursuit of greatness, however defined. While most college athletic departments include off-field outcomes as a part of their mission, in the midst of an accelerated recruiting process and a professionalization of college sports, winning, branding, and revenue seem to be prioritized above all. Coaches are obligated to win, and their jobs are at risk for falling short. The irony (unless we're in for a season of endless ties) is that numerically half of them must lose. Few will win a championship and just a single team in every sport will win the championship. The pursuit of what greatness, then, justifies the sacrifice? Strip away the demand for wins and the influence of money and media, and you have the foundation for sports-based youth development (SBYD). In this model of sport, programs and coaches have the opportunity to make choices with a singular goal in mind: supporting young people to be great. I am often asked how SBYD differs from my experience as a collegiate coach or professional player. Three things come immediately to mind. First, it focuses on the development of the whole person, on and off the field. Sport (in my case, soccer) is the hook or common language, but it approached and leveraged in such a way that outcomes off the field are the ultimate goal. As it turns out, wins often follow. Second, SBYD programs reach young people who lack pathways to inclusion and success due to differences in culture, ability, language, social capital, and financial resources. Their potential, though, is extraordinary. I think about Marwa, a 13 year-old girl from Iraq, who finds herself living in Oakland, CA after her brother Saleh accidentally picked up an abandoned American explosive, blowing up his hands, abdomen, and face. Saleh and his family were evacuated to the Oakland Children's Hospital, where Saleh made a miraculous recovery. Enrolled in a new school, in a new place, beginning a new life, Marwa's team gives her the space and support to be young, to be understood, and to heal. Her team is full of refugee girls from around the world whose families have been resettled in the U.S. with the hope for a safer, brighter future. Third, of the 1,000+ decisions, small and large, that are made over the course of a season, SBYD programs get to prioritize what's best for the personal growth of their participants every time. That means when the team wants to use practice time to make a video to lobby the school board for a new field, the practice plan goes out the window. It means that scholarship nominations are based on character, work ethic, investment in the team, and commitment to the goals of the program. It means that behavior consequences for the best players are the same as for the worst. It means that no player is ever encouraged to quit or transfer for a being unable to contribute on the field. Decision-making as a coach is far from easy; adults working with young people in any context are constantly challenged by nuanced, complicated situations. However, rather than weigh what's best for the fans, or the scoreboard, or sales, or marketability, SBYD coaches get to focus their energy, talent, creativity, and kindness on those who need and deserve it the most: the young people who look up to them. As the fall season begins, I am nostalgic for the smell of freshly cut grass and the possibility of a championship. With a new school year upon us, I also wonder if the heated dialogue about the purpose of collegiate sports will perhaps draw a lesson from sports-based youth development: give coaches the space and support to be educators who teach their players how to be great in more ways than one. #sbyd #usa #sport #youthdevelopment

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The girls and coaches of Fútbol Sin Fronteras Granada are lacing up their boots for their biggest tournament of the year – the Copa de la Paz (Global Peace Games). The Copa is an annual day-long soccer tournament for girls in Granada, Nicaragua, that promotes peace and female empowerment. Every year FSF hosts the Copa on the International Day of Peace, a day of worldwide ceasefire established by the United Nations. The tournament will take place this year on Saturday, September 20, at the San Matias Field in Granada. FSF celebrates the Global Peace Games in conjunction with the many other Soccer Without Borders sites, from Uganda to the United States. The five girls’ teams of Fútbol Sin Fronteras will participate in the tournament as well as many school teams from Granada. FSF will award trophies to the top two finishers of each age bracket as well as “Peace and Fair Play” awards to the teams that display the most sportsmanlike attitudes to emphasize the tournament’s message of peace. Each year, the Copa grows tremendously in numbers of female participants and in level of play. The tournament is a testament not only to the hard work of the girls of Fútbol Sin Fronteras but also the growth of women’s soccer in Granada. FSF is looking forward to another successful Copa this Saturday! If in the area, please join us at the Copa at the San Matias Field at 9:00 AM, or check out your local Soccer Without Borders site to join in their celebrations!

Global Rescue has provided in-kind services to Soccer Without Borders staff and team leaders traveling abroad since 2010. Global Rescue offers the highest quality medical advisory, intelligence, and medical and security evacuation services to members anytime, anywhere in the world. Featured on CNN, ABC Nightly News, the New York Times and many other national and international news outlets, Global Rescue conducts thousands of missions each year, many under the most challenging conditions in remote corners of the globe. “Our relationship with Global Rescue has provided our international staff members with peace of mind and high quality care. Often the hardest part about being in areas where good healthcare is lacking is gaining access to important medical information when you need it most. The support of Global Rescue has been invaluable to SWB and we are incredibly grateful for their continued investment in SWB," said Executive Director Mary McVeigh. Global Rescue members who are injured or ill while traveling can contact the company 24/7, 365 days a year, for critical medical advice and evacuation services. Through the company’s relationship with Johns Hopkins Medicine, Global Rescue members have access to advisory services from the world’s top specialists. For travelers facing medical and security emergencies all over the world, Global Rescue deploys its critical care paramedics and former military Special Operations forces, then transports members in need of hospitalization to the home country hospital of their choice. Name any major crisis of the past decade – 2010 Haiti earthquake, 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, 2011 tsunami in Japan – and Global Rescue has been involved. For those interested in becoming a Global Rescue member, learn more and sign up using SWB's code here.

The average center midfielder runs the majority of a half marathon in a 90 minute soccer game. After months of training and raising funds on behalf of SWB, on the morning of July 27th, a team of amazing athletes took to the hills of San Francisco, running the SF Half and Full Marathon. The four youngest team members made their miles doubly count by signing up to be Positive Tracks Ambassadors for SWB. The leader of the pack, Katy, raised more than $500 for SWB, which will be doubled by Positive tracks! These four Ambassadors raised over $1,000 through their efforts. Thank you to the whole team for Sweating for Change on behalf of SWB! #ambassadors #supporter

By: Kara McMahon School vacations are typically relaxing -- a well-deserved break from academic demands. Here at Fútbol Sin Fronteras Granada (FSF), vacation days are another excuse to play more soccer and form new friendships. The high school campers with a few FSF staff membersFSF took advantage of school break in mid-July to host a group of twelve US high school students for a week of cultural exchange and soccer coaching. For the girls of FSF, the annual Campamento (camp) for high school students is one of the most exciting weeks of the year -- a chance to play as much soccer as possible as well as build the FSF community. And for the American camp participants, a week with FSF provides a chance to experience Nicaraguan life and build cross-cultural relationships on and off the soccer field. Our outstanding group of high school students -- Margaux, Hannah, Melise, Zoe, Max, Ashley, Coleman, Mollie, Eli, Spencer, Megan, and Sydney -- quickly bonded with each other and the Nicaraguan coaches. Each day, they traveled from their home-stays in a local barrio (neighborhood) to neighboring public and private schools where they ran soccer-oriented gym classes for girls. From the schools, the students ventured to historical sites in and around Granada -- the Cemetery of Granada, Parque Central (Central Park), and the Merced Church as well as to the Masaya Artisanal Market and Laguna de Apoyo (Lagoon of Support). In the afternoons, the high school students kept busy by preparing soccer and teamwork juegitos (games) for the dozens of soccer-crazed FSF girls aged 7-17. Although most students did not speak Spanish, they bonded with the girls by using soccer as a platform for dialogue, laughter, and friendship. Whether interacting at the FSF Tres Pisos headquarters or out at the soccer field, the excitement of Campamento 2014 could be seen, heard, and felt throughout the streets of Granada. High school students and girls walked side-by-side from the FSF office to the soccer field, chased each other playfully in "Tiger Tail Tag," and laughed and shook hands after a scrimmage between campers and FSF participants. We want to thank our camp group for their extraordinary service to Fútbol Sin Fronteras and welcome them to our family. We hope that they will stay in touch in some way -- whether through emails or Facebook, working with our partner sites in the US, or joining us in a few years for our college camp! ¡Nos Vemos! (See you soon!)

By: Hel Say In June, Hel Say, SWB Oakland coach and former participant, was one of 3 SWB coaches selected to attend a two-week long UNOSDP Youth Leadership Camp. Before I went to the UNOSPD (United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace) Youth Leadership camp, I was a bit nervous. I was not so sure about what I was going to learn over the two weeks. I thought that I was not going to make friends, and I thought that all of the people there would be serious. I was wrong. They were all just like me: friendly, and they make other people smile. I had a wonderful experience at the UNOSDP camp, and I will never forget what I learned there. I met incredible people who changed my perspectives towards life. They are all smart, unique, and inspirational. We started our first day with an introduction from Mr. Wilfried Lemke, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace: “ You have been selected to participate in this event because you’ve already shown in your communities that sport can be a powerful tool for development and peace.” Over the next 12 days, I learned about all different sports, fun energizer games, and team building games that I can take back to my community. I learned so much, which is making me a stronger leader. I learned about adapted physical activities for those with a disability. It’s so difficult to play basketball in a wheelchair, so it’s helped me to open my mind and to realize how strong people can be. I admire them a lot after trying out wheelchair basketball. Sport has the power to change the world. They taught us about conflict resolution, education, sports, and peace building. We learned about safeguarding and protection, and how it’s our job to keep children safe. Sport can be used to educate about HIV/AIDS prevention, peacebuilding & entrepreneurship, and public health. We also learned about inclusion, which was my favorite part. We must include everyone in our activities. While we were there, we had the chance to go to John F. Kennedy Space Center MPS. It was awesome. I also learned about different sports that I had never tried before. For example, taekwondo is about harmony of mind and body, self-control, and self-discipline. Each one of us set our goals and made a plan for achieving our goals. To achieve my goal, I need my teammates’ help. I felt very emotional on the last day of our camp because my time together with my friends had come to an end. It was an amazing experience, and I appreciate all of the wonderful people I met. Thank you to Right To Play, UNOSDP, Global Action Initiatives, IIc, IMG Academy, and all the organizations that made this experience possible. LOVE, Hel Say!

By Mary McVeigh - Program Director The Brazil games have all wrapped up, the trophy has been awarded, and players are headed home. There has been much talk surrounding the legacy of this World Cup and other mega events, and their impact on the communities and nations in which they are hosted. That discussion is both warranted and complicated, but for Soccer Without Borders Nicaragua one of the most powerful legacies of this World Cup lies in the hearts, minds, and abilities of two of our coaches. The girls of SWB Nicaragua are the central focus of this program, and their needs, dreams, and ideas keep us on our toes constantly. Yet the unsung heroes who support our girls to bring those ideas and dreams to life are our Nicaraguan coaches. Our team of leaders, all of whom began as volunteers, has an average tenure of 46 months. That's nearly four years of daily innovating, teaching, supporting, listening, and problem solving with and for their teams. It is no surprise that 91% of our girls said they think of their coach as someone they can go to with a serious problem. Our coaches come from the very same community as our girls, and face the very same obstacles, making their perseverance and consistency that much more remarkable. Opportunities for personal development are rare, and education systems fall short in both quality and accessibility. For that reason, we could not be prouder that this June two of our Nicaraguan coaches were selected for two fully sponsored, global, leadership development opportunities: the Sony Global Youth Forum in Brazil, and the United Nations Youth Leadership Camp in Florida. Estefan headed to Brazil, joining just 35 peers selected from organizations around the world, to discuss the legacy of the World Cup and opportunities to create change through soccer in his home community. Hassell, a former participant-turned-coach, headed to the U.S. for two weeks of camp aimed at strategies for integrating life-skills training into sport, and practicing leadership skills while building cross-cultural bonds. Both returned to Granada energized by new knowledge and mentors, and inspired to deepen the impact of our program for our girls. That's a legacy that will ripple for years to come. Thank you for investing in all that makes this program possible, most especially our local mentors and leaders. #Granada #international #leadership #Nicaragua

Today, June 20, 2014 is World Refugee Day. World Refugee Day was established by the United Nations to honor the men, women, and children who have been forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, violence and conflict. Did you know? According to the UN, as of mid-2013 there were 11.1 million refugees globally, which includes 600,000 additional refugees in the first half of 2013. There are currently about 262,000 refugees living in the U.S. today. More than 70% of Soccer Without Borders USA participants are refugees. Participants come from 45 distinct countries including Afghanistan, Burma/Myanmar, Iraq, Sudan, and Somalia, among others. These youth come to the U.S. with a wide range of language skills and formal education. They also come with great aspirations and, when supported, can achieve amazing things. SWB has received national media attention for its innovative work supporting refugee and immigrant students: LA Times How Youth Learn Baltimore Sun Fox News Latino More Spring Highlights Coaches Hassell of FSF Granada, Hel Say and Omar, both of SWB Oakland, are currently participating at the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) Youth Leadership Camp. Coaches Ye-Htet (Tet) Soe of SWB Oakland and Estefan (Techo) Bolaños of FSF Granada were selected to attend the Sony Global Youth Forum in Brazil during the World Cup. Tet and Techo are two of just 36 representatives from around the world selected for the forum. #international #leadership #immigrant #refugee #newcomer #Oakland #Nicaragua #Uganda

With the help of Women’s Head Soccer Coach Lacy Largeteau, Andrew Blake ’14 and Jenna Spooner ’14 led the organization of this years annual Soccer Without Borders camp at Skidmore College presented by Positive Tracks. Over a span of five days, forty of Jenna and Andrew’s teammates worked with 70 active kids from the surrounding community. Through suggested donations, Skidmore raised a whopping $3,945 dollars and also collected a lot of soccer gear. Way to go Thoroughbreds!!!