Beyond Sport visits Street Soccer project
A delegation from Beyond Sport, including multi-Olympic Gold Medallist Michael Johnson, has visited the site of the Street Soccer programme at Ward’s Island in New York, one of the shortlisted projects for the Beyond Sport Awards 2010.
Johnson joined Beyond Sport founder Nick Keller in taking a tour of the Street Soccer site as well as joining in with the program’s participants for a scrimmage followed by a question and answer session.
A national programme active across the United States, Street Soccer educates and engages homeless and impoverished youth, men, and women through extensive soccer programmes.
Street Soccer has been shortlisted in the Sport for Social Inclusion Award category for the Beyond Sport Awards 2010 and will compete with four other projects from across the world for the winner’s prize which includes $15,000 in funding and a substantial package of technical support to help them grow and become sustainable.
Commented Keller: “We were delighted to take up the opportunity to see Street Soccer in action and engage first-hand with the project’s participants. During our visit we were immediately impressed with the tangible impact the programme is making on its surrounding community. It is fully deserving of its place on the Awards shortlist.”
Added New York City Homeless Services Commissioner Seth Diamond: “I am very pleased to see the HELP USA Street Soccer program recognized. Street Soccer is another great example of our clients themselves breaking the stigma that homelessness means helplessness.
“Street Soccer promotes healthy living including exercise, balanced diet, positive self-worth, relationship building and determination on the field which leads to proven positive outcomes off the field. Programs like Street Soccer can have a dramatic impact on individuals’ lives.”
As a shortlisted project, a representative from Street Soccer will be flown to the second annual Beyond Sport Summit and Awards, taking place in 2010 in Chicago between September 27-30.
Designed to recognise and reward the best sport and development projects from across the world on an annual basis, the Beyond Sport Awards incorporates 12 categories covering the entire sporting spectrum of health, social inclusion, corporate and social responsibility, and philanthropy.
In its second year, the Awards attracted entries from over 350 projects, further extending the significant reach of the global initiative to over 115 countries and territories.
The Summit is a unique event designed to celebrate, promote and drive forward the use of sport as a tool for positive social change. It collides those who use sport as a vehicle to create social impact, with influencers from the world of business, government and federations whose attitudes and decisions can have substantial impact.
With five months to go until the 2010 event, the Summit already boasts an impressive line-up of speakers including HRH Prince Faisal Al Hussein of Jordan; multi-Olympic Gold Medallists Ian Thorpe and Michael Johnson; Rita LeBlanc, owner of NFL SuperBowl champions the New Orleans Saints; Jérôme Valcke, FIFA Secretary General; and two-time Women's World Cup winner and former US soccer captain Julie Foudy.
A host of further speaker announcements will be made in the coming weeks and months.
Beyond Sport is partnered with Barclays Spaces for Sports, United Airlines and TIME International.
Beyond Sport is also represented by a host of high-profile Ambassadors, all who bring unique experiences and visions to the initiative. Chaired by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, they also include the multi-Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson; Lord Sebastian Coe, Chairman of London 2012; former NBA Champion and US Senator Bill Bradley; and IOC Executive Board Member Nawal El Moutawakel, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Morocco.
For further information visit www.beyondsport.org or contact
Drew Barrand
Head of Media & Communications
Beyond Sport
Tel: +44 (0)20 3355 8133
Cell: +44 (0)777 624 2904
Email: drew@beyondsport.org
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