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Boston, MA – The U.S. Soccer Foundation has awarded a grant to Soccer Without Borders to support four programs throughout the US. The U.S. Soccer Foundation, the major charitable arm of soccer in the United States, announced that it has awarded 37 grants totaling more than $1.8 million to non-profit organizations serving youth in underserved communities across the nation. Soccer Without Borders (SWB) is proud to be one of the recipient organizations. This is the second consecutive year in which the U.S. Soccer Foundation has supported SWB through a grant award. In its continued effort to grow the game of soccer and utilize it to improve the positive health and social outcomes for children, the U.S. Soccer Foundation awards grants to support soccer programming and field-building initiatives nationwide. Non-profit organizations eligible to receive grant funding include those that provide children with the opportunity to play soccer and provide programming aimed at keeping children in under-resourced communities active, healthy, and safe. “Our goal at the U.S. Soccer Foundation is to provide children with access to quality soccer programs that support both physical and personal development,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President and CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “We are pleased to support organizations that not only help grow the game of soccer, but make a positive impact on the lives of the children and families in their communities.” The support that SWB has been awarded will allow further development and enhancement of the SWB programs in Baltimore, MD, Greeley, CO, Chicago, IL, and Boston, MA. “We are incredibly honored to be selected for a program grant again this year, and look forward to working with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to provide newcomer refugee and immigrant youth across the USA with expanded opportunities,” said Mary McVeigh, Executive Director of Soccer Without Borders. Support for the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s grant process is provided by the Foundation’s corporate partners, including, FieldTurf, Hunter Industries, Musco Sports Lighting, PEVO Sports, Soccer.com and Sport Court. Since its inception in 1994, the U.S. Soccer Foundation has now awarded more than $60 million in grant awards to non-profit organizations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. About Soccer Without Borders Soccer Without Borders is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that uses soccer as a vehicle for positive change, providing newcomer refugee and immigrant youth a toolkit for growth, inclusion and personal success. SWB programs in the USA currently serve more than 750 youth on a consistent basis. In the cities where SWB USA programs operate, the combination of poverty, urban violence, and cultural isolation leads many newcomer youth to feel hopeless. The SWB program authentically shifts outcomes for participants; the support of the positive team community, the holistic range of activities offered, and the influence of caring SWB coaches help young people succeed on and off the field. For more information about SWB, visit www.soccerwithoutborders.org. About the U.S. Soccer Foundation The U.S. Soccer Foundation is a recognized leader in sports-based youth development programs for children in underserved, urban communities. Since its founding in 1994, the organization has provided more than $60 million in funding to create and sustain innovative programs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Proven to deliver positive health and social outcomes, the Foundation’s affordable initiatives offer safe environments in which both boys and girls thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org to learn more. Editor Note: For your understanding, the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a separate entity from USSF/US/U.S. Soccer. When referring to the U.S. Soccer Foundation, please refer to it by its proper name.

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. 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!!! Check out the local new coverage of the camp here. #ambassadors #positivetracks #supporter

[Greeley, CO] – Soccer Without Borders (SWB) announced today that it has received a $24,000 Daniels Fund grant to support its Greeley/Fort Collins Program, which it operates in partnership with the local soccer club, the Colorado Storm. Soccer Without Borders uses soccer as a tool to engage newcomer refugee and immigrant youth. In an inclusive, safe team environment, SWB participants form positive relationships and receive the support they need to achieve success on and off the field. “The grant will enable our program to increase the hours and frequency of programming and the number of refugee youth that the program serves,” said Mary McVeigh, Executive Director of SWB. Bill Daniels, a pioneer in cable television known for his kindness and generosity to those in need, established the Daniels Fund to provide grants and scholarships in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. For more information, please visit www.danielsfund.org “The SWB Greeley/Fort Collins program, in partnership with the Colorado Storm, has grown tremendously over the last year, providing opportunities for soccer, team-building, civic engagement, cultural exchange, and educational activities to refugee youth, particularly in the Spring and Fall. We are incredibly grateful to the Daniels Fund for investing in the continued expansion of the program to become a year-round resource to these incredible young people,” added McVeigh. For more information about Soccer Without Borders visit www.SoccerWithoutBorders.org

What do former Lord Jeff players Allie Horwitz and Jill Kochanek and former Bantam player-turned-Assistant-Coach Leigh Howard have in common? In addition to being amazing soccer players and coaches, they all spent significant time as SWB coaches in Nicaragua. Inspired by the trio, the Amherst and Trinity women’s soccer teams rallied together to play for change in honor of SWB. They donned SWB t-shirts during pre-game warmups, sold merchandize throughout the game, and shared the story of SWB with fans and supporters. Their incredible efforts raised over $1,000 in support of SWB Nicaragua! A big thanks to Amherst and Trinity Women's Soccer! #ambassadors #Granada #international #supporter #Nicaragua

We're making sport safer Recently, Soccer Without Borders became involved in an initiative to make sport safer for children. Joining the International Safeguarding Children in Sport Working Group, we are collaborating with more than fifty organizations around the globe to pilot a set of standards to safeguard all children participating in sport. Millions of children and young people take part in sporting activities across the world every day. Unfortunately, sport, as with other social domains, can bring risks such as violence and abuse towards children and youth. These risks can have a negative impact on development objectives and must be guarded against if the full positive power of sport is to be realized. Only a few organizations involved in sport and sport for development globally have the systems and structures needed to make sport safer for children, and stakeholders are increasingly recognizing that without deliberate efforts on the part of clubs and organizations, federations, and policy makers, we cannot be confident that children will always have a safe experience in sport. It is for this reason that we have partnered with a diverse group of experts including UNICEF UK, UK Sport, Keeping Children Safe, NSPCC's Child Protection in Sport Unit, Right to Play, WomenWin, Swiss Academy for Development, Commonwealth Secretariat, Beyond Sport and Comic Relief, to commit to making sport safer. Brunel University has been commissioned by the working group to review the standards at the end of the pilot process. We are working with the this group of researchers to ensure that the final tool produced by the working group is useful and achieves the goal of making sport safer. Liz Twyford from UNICEF UK described the standards as a set of actions that all organisations working in sport should have in place to ensure children are safe from harm and should be used as a benchmark of good practice to work towards, rather than an end in themselves. At present there are eleven draft standards. These are to: Write a policy on keeping children safe Use procedures, personnel and systems that support safeguarding Assess and minimize risks to children Produce guidelines on behavior towards children Ensure equity – ALL children being safeguarded Communicate the ‘keep children safe’ message Provide education and training for keeping children safe Engage with advice and support Work with partners to meet the standards Involve children in development, review and implementation Monitor and evaluate compliance and effectiveness of safeguarding measures Visit the sportanddev website to learn more about child protection and safeguarding in sport -http://www.sportanddev.org/en/learnmore/safeguarding/

"Oakland International High School sits on a narrow, nondescript street in West Oakland, where Ben Gucciardi runs the Soccer Without Borders program. His players, like all the school's students, are recently arrived immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers from countries like Eritrea, Iraq, Colombia and Myanmar. They don't have a soccer field, or any kind of field — they run drills with the OneWorld Futbol on the concrete yard out back. The kids speak varying levels of English and can find academics challenging. Playing the game, though, they're nimble and confident...." Read more

Just before the holidays, the SWB Oakland U19 Girls team went on a trip to the University of California Santa Cruz. It was exciting for the team to see what a college campus is like and to speak to Coach Cristy and Coach Shadin about their experiences at UCSC. It was also an important team-building opportunity, as the group enjoyed getting away from Oakland for some fun on the beach. Mu Mu, a Senior on the U19 Girls team, describes the experience: “A few weeks ago was our field trip to University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) with our soccer team. Santa Cruz had such beautiful weather on the day we were there. When we got there, we were met by coach Cristy. She attends UCSC. We were there to tour the campus, and she showed us a lot of great things about the school. In addition, she had a lot of good information about the school. Finally, we went to a beach, which was why everyone was so excited to be there. We spend time eating lunch and had fun at the beach. The best part was when we took off our shoes and played soccer at the beach.” Exploring the UCSC library! Coaches Cristy & Shadin talked to the team about college life Beach soccer!

By: Amy Howard, Team Leader SWB Uganda has had a few very exciting months! First, we moved into a new center that we are falling more in love with each day. Then, last month, we had a very fun and successful Youth Festival, where nearly 300 participants came out to enjoy! Most recently, we are VERY PROUD to say that through a partnership with Xavier Project in Kampala, Uganda, 16 of our participants have been chosen to receive scholarships to attend school! In December, over 50 of our participants - majority being Congolese refugees - were selected to participate in a month-long intensive English program held by Xavier Project. During that month, our students attended school in Katwe, Kampala every day (Monday - Friday) to improve their English as much as possible. Many of the top teachers from around the area were leading the classes. At the end of January, all of the students took an English exam to find out what they had learned so far. Out of the 20 scholarships available by Xavier Project, 16 of the recipients were from Soccer Without Borders Uganda. Xavier Project chose the recipients based on test scores, behavior, effort, and potential. We are so proud of our students as they started their education this past week at various schools in the Nsambya area. It is amazing to see the way meaningful local partnerships can work together to create opportunities and strengthen the community. Elia and Edward, two scholarship recipients For more information on the Xavier Project, visit their website.

By: Cat Webster Last Saturday wrapped up the 7th TEAM Camp for Soccer Without Borders Granada. What an incredible week it was! We hosted fifteen American college students as well as three special guest coaches from SEPROJOVEN, a soccer for female empowerment program located in Costa Rica. The volunteers jumped right into the week with a few hours of pickup soccer with coaches and friends of the program, heading home only when it got too dark to see the ball. On Sunday we kicked off the official start of the camp with a fiesta for the participants and the volunteers, complete with face-painting, musical chairs, a 2013 highlight video, and a piñata. On Monday morning, we started our two-a-day camp sessions- a soccer session in the morning and an office activity in the office in the afternoon. Each day began with a full camp warm up and stretch, then the girls split off into their age groups, where they learned the theme of the day and the corresponding soccer skills. Monday focused on Identity and Dribbling, Tuesday on Cooperation and Passing, Wednesday on Confidence and Technical Skills, and Thursday focused on Working in Teams. The volunteers were divided amongst the different teams, and throughout the week grew stronger and stronger in assisting the Nicaraguan coaches and spending lots of one-on-one instruction time with the participants. Some spoke no Spanish, some were nearly fluent, but all found a way to bond with the participants and meaningfully involve themselves with camp instruction. Despite the heat, both seasoned players and new girls arrived morning after morning, eager to tie up their cleats and get playing. Two of the volunteers, Jamie Gillis and Val Tysinger, played goalie for their universities, and coached two goalie clinics with the help of Nicaraguan coaches Cesar Morales and Eden Guadamuz. Keepers from all four teams were delighted to learn new skills and drills from these women. Many who could not complete all of the skills during the first clinic were eager to come back to the second, demonstrate that they had practiced at home, and master even more difficult ones. Our afternoon sessions always began with a snack, courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Managua, to help replenish some of the energy spent on the field. Afterwards, the girls were split into mixed aged teams and rotated through all three floors of the office to complete various team-building challenges and games. The volunteers stayed energetic all week, playing all the games and helping their teams solve challenges such as egg tosses and relay races. On Wednesday afternoon, the SEPROJOVEN coaches took the lead with a presentation on their program. Especially inspiring points were the wide number of neighborhoods that the program serves, and that the idea of the program started with one young girl. SEPROJOVEN coach, Yerling Brenes, really drove home the point that it is important to protect and pursue your dreams-- no matter who says they can’t be accomplished-- because one young Costa Rican girl was responsible for SEPROJOVEN’s incredible start. When SEPROJOVEN coach Gaby Quesada showed a picture of her studying and asked why it was important, 7 year old Marianna Mejia received a round of applause for her answer: “It’s important to study so that we can grow up to really be someone.” We are excited at the prospect of continued partnerships with this incredible organization. On Friday, the girls put their new soccer skills to use in the camp-wide “Soccer Olympics”. The volunteers worked hard to create six different stations to test a variety of skills, and mixed-age teams competed against one another for first place. It was great to see the volunteers taking charge and sharing their ideas with the entire camp. Later in the afternoon was a special treat: the volunteers played a friendly match against the Nicaraguan Women’s National Soccer Team in their stadium in Managua. Participants with high enough attendance during the week earned the chance to attend. They cheered, sang, and danced with excitement throughout the entire hour-long ride there, through the 90-minute game, and the ride back. The final result was Nicaragua 4 - SWB 1. Though we would have liked a more equal result, it was great for the participants to see Nicaraguan women really kicking butt in their sport. The program has shown significant development over the past few years, and it is exciting for us that women’s soccer in Nicaragua continues to improve. When asked what she thought of camp, Claremont-McKenna senior Lauren Allen talked some about the extracurricular experiences offered to the volunteers. “I figured it would just be playing soccer, but we have really been welcomed into the community as family. From staying in homes in the barrio to learning to cook and salsa, I feel like I’ve learned so much about the culture as well as Soccer Without Borders.” We are extremely grateful to all the volunteers who donated not only time and equipment but their unrelenting energy, ideas, and understanding to kick off our 2014 season. Their impact will last long after they have left, and we are happy to welcome them to the SWB family.

By: Cathlene Webster One of Soccer Without Borders’ core programs is located in Granada, Nicaragua, where it provides year-round soccer instruction as well as team-building, cultural exchange, civic engagement, and educational support to girls between ages seven and sixteen. The staff of Nicaraguan and American coaches focuses on breaking down borders that exclude local girls from education and sport opportunities. During their seventh T.E.A.M. Camp in January 2014, SWB crossed yet another border- specifically 103 kilometers south- to host coaches from streetfootballworld partner SEPROJOVEN in Costa Rica. SEPROJOVEN uses soccer to combat the violence and exclusion from human rights faced by girls in low resource neighborhoods in and around San Jose, Costa Rica. Its mission and programming align closely to those of Soccer Without Borders, and its participants face many of the same challenges. The program is directed by Roy Arias who worked closely in the past with SWB Local Director Josh Hardester during Josh’s time as a Peace Corps volunteer. The two linked up again to facilitate a first exchange in late November, when SWB coaches Hassell Chavez and Collin Burks participated in SEPROJOVEN’s facilitation of the Campamento Liga FEM. Chavez enjoyed the experience, commenting, “It was good to participate because it’s similar to FSF but for girls that are really at immediate risk. I also liked that they use soccer as a way to improve the negativity, the girls seem happier when they are playing in this safe space. It was a great thing to see work similar to ours being done somewhere else.” This January, SEPROJOVEN sent coaches Maria Alfaro, Gabriela Quesada, and Yerling Brenes to participate in the weeklong T.E.A.M. Camp in Granada. The coaches were a valuable addition to the camp, providing on field soccer instruction as well as facilitating team-building activities throughout the week. Halfway through the week, the three coaches shared a presentation about SEPROJOVEN with SWB coaches and participants. They reiterated the focus on respect and peaceful play as well as the importance of goal setting and dedication to education. In describing her experience, coach Maria Alfaro noted that although the two programs are adapted to serve the slightly different needs presented by their respective countries, there is value in collaboration with similarly minded organizations in the Latin American region. SWB feels fortunate to have hosted such guests, and coaches have already implemented various games and activities learned from the SEPROJOVEN women into their own practices. SEPROJOVEN coach Gabriela Quesada praised the exchange, reflecting that she learned many techniques that she was excited to bring to her teams, and enjoyed the sense of solidarity felt between the two programs. She is excited at the possibility of returning to SWB in the future, and SWB shares her enthusiasm at the prospect of continued development of this partnership.

By Heman Rai Heman Rai is a recent graduate from Digital Harbor High School and the Soccer Without Borders Baltimore program. Originally from Nepal, Heman has recently accepted a full scholarship to Loyola University of Maryland where he will begin this fall. Three years ago I met Ms. Gina, The Academic Director, but she was more than that to SWB. She was always there for us, with anything we need. She run soccer school for us, she teach us how to talk properly, help us with our language, vocabulary words, drive us to games and back home, and sometimes we would get lost on the road because she is not so good at reading maps. But nonetheless she was a mother figure to SWB, to me, to the rest of my teammates. Especially in my senior year of High School, I really got to work close with her. We started working on essays, scholarships, the FAFSA, and other applications. Ms. Gina was always texting me, calling me, coming to my home. She made sure I did everything that I was supposed to do to go to a four-year college. One day I told her I didn’t want to go to a four-year college. I told her that I wanted to start school at a two-year college. But she started explaining to me the difference between four-year and two-year colleges. She even explained this to my parents, with some help from my little sister. After that my parents wanted me to go to a four-year college and graduate from it. Sometimes I wouldn’t spend enough time doing my essays because I wanted to play FIFA13 on my Xbox. Ms. Gina would say to me, “Xbox Chiana!” Which is Nepali for, “No more Xbox!” Now I have sold my Xbox and saved that money for college expenses. Because of her devoted help and SWB, today I am proud to say that, “I am a Loyola University of Maryland Greyhound!” I got accepted to four private colleges because of her help. She helped me with everything from witting essays to filing out scholarship applications. SWB and Ms. Gina helped me decide on which college to attend. Thank you Ms. Gina! I am going to miss you, my family is going to miss you, and SWB is going to miss you too! We Thank You, because you have helped us all.

Soccer Without Borders Teams Up With FC Gold Pride Hayward, CA (May 28, 2010) – Soccer Without Borders is proud to announce a partnership with FC Gold Pride of the Women's Professional Soccer League. “Soccer Without Borders is the perfect example of the positive impact soccer can make on an individual and a community,” said FC Gold Pride General Manager, Ilisa Kessler. “The mission, values, methods and goals of the foundation align well with the Pride’s and we are happy to team up with such a noble and worthy organization.” “We are very excited and honored to team up with FC Gold Pride,” said Soccer Without Borders’ founder Ben Gucciardi. “The youth in our program in Oakland will benefit greatly from interacting with the wonderful role models that play on the team. This partnership will allow our organization to more effectively carry out our mission to provide soccer and learning opportunities to vulnearble populations in the US and abroad, and we hope the larger community will come out and support the Pride and Soccer Without Borders on June 5th and beyond.” The Pride will support the efforts of Soccer Without Borders throughout the season beginning on June 5, when the Washington Freedom make their first visit to the Bay Area. During the June 5 match, the Pride will host youth from the Oakland Refugee and Immigrant Student Wellness Program run in partnership with Oakland International High Shcool. Later this summer many of the Pride’s top stars will also take part in Soccer Without Borders’ annual Refugee Community Soccer Camp (Aug. 2-6). Pride fans can support Soccer Without Borders at the Pride’s June 5 home game many ways: 1) Be there to show your support! Use the promo code SWB or mention Soccer Without Borders when you purchase your tickets to the June 5 game against the Washington Freedom and $5 will automatically be donated to Soccer Without Border organization. To order your tickets now CLICK HERE or call 510-314-8407. 2) Donate your new and gently used soccer equipment to Soccer Without Borders! New and gently used soccer cleats and balls can be donated at collection stations located at the entrance gate to Castro Valley High School Athletic Stadium. Fans that donate will receive a coupon redeemable for discounted tickets to the June 19 match at Pioneer Stadium. 3) ENTER TO WIN! The Pride will raffle off replica Puma team jerseys from five of the countries (Italy, Ghana, Tunisa, Egypt, Morocco)participating in the Men’s 2010 World Cup taking place in South Africa this June. Raffle tickets are $1 per ticket, $5 for six tickets, $10 for 12 tickets, or $20 for 24 tickets. Raffle tickets will be sold by Soccer Without Borders youth participants in the stands and at the FC Gold Pride ticket tent in fan fest at the June 5 game. Fans may also purchase tickets in advance of the game by calling FC Gold Pride Community Relations at 510-314-8407. Winners will be selected and announced at the 85th minute of the match (winners need not be present). To learn more about the FC Gold Pride and see their schedule of games, click HERE.