The U.S. Soccer Foundation was established in 1994 and serves as the major charitable arm of
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 ...
in 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 ...
.
The mission of the U.S. Soccer Foundation is to enhance, assist and grow the sport of soccer in the United States, with a special emphasis on underserved communities.
The foundation is a leader in
sports-based youth development Sports-based youth development or SBYD is a theory and practice model for direct youth service. Grounded in youth development, sports psychology, and youth sports practice, SBYD aims to use the sport experience to contribute to positive youth develo ...
and is using soccer as a vehicle for social change among youth in urban areas. It provides nationally recognized programs that are proven to deliver positive health and social outcomes. The foundation's innovative, accessible and affordable initiatives offer safe, urban environments in which both boys and girls thrive.
Since its inception, the foundation has awarded over $57 million in financial support to soccer organizations and field-building initiatives nationwide. Through the ''Passback'' program, the foundation has collected and redistributed close to 900,000 pieces of soccer equipment for children in need worldwide. In addition, the foundation currently providing children in 20 cities across the country with physical activity, nutrition education and mentorship through our ''Soccer for Success'' program.
Programs
*
Soccer for Success' is the U.S. Soccer Foundation's free soccer-based afterschool program that uses soccer as a tool to combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles for children in under-resourced urban communities. The foundation partners with community-based organizations across the country to operate Soccer for Success sites – providing thousands of children with free afterschool programming three times per week for the entire school year.
*The
Safe Places to Play' program provides grants to organizations to help them build or enhance a field space in their communities.
*
Passback' is the U.S. Soccer Foundation's soccer equipment collection and distribution program. Through the Passback Program, new and gently used soccer gear is collected by organizations, teams, clubs, and individuals and is redistributed across the globe to help underserved communities play soccer.
*
Congressional Soccer Match
Grants
The U.S. Soccer Foundation
awards grants on an annual basis to support both soccer programs and field-building initiatives in underserved areas nationwide. Grants are provided to support all aspects of the beautiful game - from assisting programs with operational costs to creating ''Safe Places to Play''
Click here to learn more about the Foundation's grants process.
Advocacy
The U.S. Soccer Foundation is located in
Washington, D.C.
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and leads advocacy efforts on
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...
and with Executive Branch agencies for the entire soccer community.
The U.S. Soccer Foundation's advocacy efforts focus on using sport as a vehicle to promote youth development, health and wellness, and positive social change. This includes combating
childhood obesity
Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or well-being. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is often based on BMI. Due to the rising prevalence of ...
, preventing youth delinquency, and providing youth with safe and accessible places to play a critical need particularly in underserved communities.
External links
* {{official website, http://www.ussoccerfoundation.org/
* The foundation's programs: http://www.ussoccerfoundation.org/our-programs/
* The foundation's grants: http://www.ussoccerfoundation.org/our-grants/
* The foundation's advocacy efforts: http://www.ussoccerfoundation.org/our-impact/advocacy
United States Soccer Federation
1994 establishments in the United States