Service + Systems

Since 2005, Soccer Without Borders has been dedicated to changing the lives of underserved youth. These efforts transformed lives AND led us to the realization that the decision-making systems and community infrastructure are not consistently operating in the best interest of underserved youth.

The mission of Soccer Without Borders is to use soccer as a vehicle for positive change, providing underserved youth with a toolkit to overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion, and personal success.

SWB believes that policies, budgets, resources and community priorities are defined by those proactively accessing and influencing civil society by which the communities we serve are often underrepresented. So long as underserved youth and their communities are not represented in decision-making systems then they are less likely to influence community policies and priorities that will affect their livelihoods.

SWB’s work amplifies the Power of Play as a source of freedom and liberation from the inequitable systems and their effects on newcomers and creates space for learning, empowerment and agency on how to influence systems change.

With empowerment and agency, we aspire towards a future where communities that reflect the Social Determinants of Health (image below) as defined by and with underserved youth, particularly newcomers and marginalized girls.