Street Soccer USA (SSUSA) is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, under the umbrella of HELP USA, that promotes the growth and development of a national network of

grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

programs. As of 2010, SSUSA has 18 teams across the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Street Soccer USA was started as part of the Urban Ministry Center in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

. SSUSA is the United States base partner of the

Homeless World Cup The Homeless World Cup is an annual association football tournament organized by the Homeless World Cup Foundation, a social organization which advocates the end of homelessness through the sport of association football. The organization puts tog ...

and the host of the annual Street Soccer USA Cup, formerly the Homeless USA Cup, which has been held every year since the inaugural event in Charlotte in 2006.

History

Lawrence Cann, a young social entrepreneur, founded Art Works Football Club in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2004. The program grew to a 16 city league of programs across the country, and Street Soccer USA became its own 501(c)3 organization in 2010. SSUSA is the official partner of the annual

, founded by Mel Young, and is responsible for organizing the United States' participation in the cup. SSUSA has brought a team of homeless soccer players to the Homeless World Cup since 2005.

Street Soccer USA Cup

Initially known as the Homeless USA Cup, the tournament began in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2006.

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, Charlotte,

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

were the cities participating in the event. In 2007, a conference was held in Charlotte to discuss expansion of the tournament for 2008. The 2008 tournament was held in Washington, DC, from June 26-29, and included 12 cities: Anne Arbor, Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, New York,

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, and

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

. It has since been hosted in

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

, New York City, San Francisco's

Civic Center Plaza Civic Center Plaza, also known as Joseph Alioto Piazza, is the plaza immediately east of San Francisco City Hall in Civic Center, San Francisco, in the U.S. state of California. Civic Center Plaza occupies two blocks bounded by McAllister, Larkin ...

, and the Philadelphia Art Museum steps. The tournament is composed of homeless men and women from around the United States, with cities bringing teams of eight players to compete in the event. After the tournament, a committee selects 16 players from the tournament. Eight are chosen to represent the USA and the other eight will be alternates for the Homeless World Cup. The cup is a four on four soccer tournament, with each team consisting of three field players and a goalkeeper. Every team must keep one player in the attacking half. Each game has two seven-minute halves, and takes place in a 52x73 ft walled in court. The walls are four feet tall and have nets that rise an additional 20 feet. The tournament has three stages, preliminary, group stage, and trophy stage. Awards given at the cup include the MVP Award for the best all around player in the tournament, the Goalie Award for the best goalkeeper in the tournament, the Kastle Trophy for the most mixed team in the tournament (men and women), and the Spirit Award, the highest honor in the tournament, which is given to the team that embodies the best attitude on and off the field.

Leadership

National Board of directors

Tim Howard Steve Nash Sheila Johnson Charlie Stillitano

Jeff Rosenthal Jeffrey Seth Rosenthal (born October 13, 1967 in Scarborough, Toronto, Scarborough, Ontario) is a Canadian statistician and nonfiction author. He is a professor in the University of Toronto's Department of Statistics, cross-appointed with Univer ...

References

{{reflist

External links

www.communityworks945.org
Homeless sport Charities based in Washington, D.C. Sports charities Soccer cup competitions in the United States Street football Homelessness in the United States