July 30, 2016 is our 4th Annual Cap Hill Soccer Jam at Seattle University Park. This event was founded by Seattle University’s Center For The Study of Sports and Exercise and the Master of Sport Administration and Leadership Program.
Click here to register your team now!
Last night at the tournament welcome dinner, Street Soccer Seattle’s very own Elena shared some of her Street Soccer Seattle story. We are very proud of Elena’s bravery to share in front of players and supporters, as well as her continued progress towards her goals even amongst obstacles. Take a chance to hear how Street Soccer Seattle has made an impact on Elena’s life.
“Street Soccer is not just a game of soccer, it is way much more than that. It’s a place to grow, a place to make changes. a place to be safe and a place to build a community. When I first joined street soccer Seattle I was homeless and I didn’t have really any much hope in my future. I had never really played any soccer prior to joining Street Soccer Seattle, nor knew much about the game of soccer in itself.
I remember showing up to practice scared and nervous, not sure of what I was getting myself into. Feeling very intimidated when I looked around and saw that it was mostly guys and the skills they had with the ball. Yet still very intimidated I stuck around. And I am proud that I did.
Through Street Soccer I have learned to build a community through my teammates and coaches. I have learned to laugh and trust my coaches as well as my teammates. Street Soccer isn’t just about kicking a ball around on a field and winning the matches that we play. It is about communicating and working together.
I started using Street Soccer as something to look forward to at the end of my week. It gave me hope and a goal to work towards while being homeless. I used Street Soccer to release my stress. Every time I kicked the ball I felt my anger disappear. I learned to laugh and be myself. I learned that Street Soccer was a place to have fun. Through the skills of Look Up, Adjust Your Play and Take the Space, I learned that those skills were not just applied on the field but they were used in my everyday life.
Street Soccer has taught me more then just about soccer it has taught me a lot about myself. My first tournament with my team was to San Francisco, California. When we arrive to San Francisco, California I was very scared and nervous but very surprised at how welcoming everyone was to each other.
I remember the first night where we had dinner together and when a young gal stood up and talked about Street Soccer and the changes it had made in her life. I remember listening and realizing that I could relate to her story. Through out the tournament I met some awesome people, as well as, made some great friends. I realized that everyone was in a similar situation that I was in and that Street Soccer was in fact more than just a game of ball. It was a family inside itself.
Street Soccer has this phrase ‘I Play For’. When I first was asked what I play for, I thought health and hope. If you were to ask me that question now my answer would be for motivation and community. Motivation to change my life, motivation to learn, and continue to build healthy communities, motivation to spread the word around in my community about Street Soccer and what it has to offer and what an impact it has made in my life!”
– Elena (Street Soccer Seattle Player)
Street Soccer Seattle has landed in Philadelphia for our seventh Street Soccer USA Cup and it is with great excitement that we introduce the five deserving players and our two coaches!
Each player has worked extremely hard all year long, on and off the field to earn his or her spot to represent Seattle in Philadelphia. Securing nightly and stable housing, finding and keeping jobs, overcoming mental health obstacles, navigating relationship issues and furthering their education are just a few of the off field goals our players daily strive for and have found success in.
For them, Street Soccer Seattle is a constant in their chaotic world. In Street Soccer, players have found a supportive community, motivation to be their best self. Through Street Soccer we are able to be a vehicle for change directly to people struggling from homelessness and in turn, the players infiltrate change into their communities and beyond.
Throughout the year, we play under the name Momentum FC, building momentum towards life goals. At the SSUSA Cup we play under Empowerment FC and our players show nothing less than that, empowering themselves and empowering everyone else!
They are:
Throughout our weekend, Street Soccer Seattle’s team will get the chance to test our work on the field, but more excitingly, hang out with the greater Street Soccer family and explore a new city. Fallow along with all the action on our website for player interviews and daily updates or on our Facebook page for more frequent access our fun on and off the field.
Ending homelessness is a team effort. If you have any words of encouragement for the team, email chrisburfeind@streetsoccerseattle.org. Thank you for your support, it continues to motivate our players!
Soccer opens up a world of possibilities. Imagine spending an afternoon in Mexico City with former Sounders FC star Gonzalo Pineda, using the game to engage and inspire youth from marginalized communities. Next travel to Estadio Azteca, one of the largest soccer stadiums in the world and host to two World Cup finals, to watch Sounders FC take on Club America in the second leg of the CONCACAF quarterfinals. This could be your reality. Here’s how:
Like last year’s CONCACAF-inspired efforts in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the Champions League quarterfinals provide not only an opportunity to showcase world-class soccer, but also a chance to celebrate the game’s inherent power as a catalyst for positive change.
Once again Sounders FC is teaming up with Seattle International Foundation (SIF) to send fans to Mexico City to participate in community-building activities leading into the Sounders FC Champions League quarterfinal match versus Club America.
Sounders FC and SIF will work locally with Street Soccer Seattle and abroad with Street Soccer Mexico to reinforce each organization’s collective mission to leverage the game of soccer to empower homeless youth. Outreach efforts will include youth clinics in Seattle and Mexico City, as well as financial commitments to support long-term community interventions in each region. Former Sounders FC star and Mexican International Gonzalo Pineda will be on hand in Mexico City to inspire youth clinic participants.
Sounders FC is seeking passionate soccer fans and global citizens to join in these efforts and win a trip of a lifetime.
Follow the link below to support Sounders FC and SIF outreach efforts in Seattle and Mexico City. Proceeds go to Street Soccer Seattle and Street Soccer Mexico’s programs to positively affect homeless youth in their regions. Each $10 contributed to the campaign will generate one entry for a chance to win a trip for two to join Sounders FC in Mexico City. Entries to win are limited to 10, but all participants are encouraged to contribute any amount seen fit.
A portion of the proceeds will cover Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle International Foundation’s travel expenses to Mexico City to engage Street Soccer Mexico and the homeless youth that they serve.
Don’t want to travel to Mexico City? Make a contribution to the campaign and then donate your trip to Street Soccer Seattle, affording a once in a lifetime opportunity for underserved youth. Unable to contribute? See below how you too can enter to win.
No purchase necessary. To enter send your Name, Address, Phone Number and Email Address to 2016 Champions League Champions Sweepstakes, c/o Seattle Sounders FC, 159 South Jackson St., Suite 200, Seattle, Washington 98104. In all formats, entries that do not supply all requested information shall not be eligible. Entries limited to 10 by any method and must be received no later than 11:59p on Tuesday, February 23, 2016.
Contest Rules: http://www.soundersfc.com/CONCACAF-Mexico
At Street Soccer Seattle we are committed to improving our soccer based program to empower the homeless in Seattle and beyond. We are happy to work with others who share the same goals as us, such as our friends at England’s Homeless FA.
At the end of last year, during personal vacation in Europe, I attended the Homeless FA’s International Street Football Festival in Manchester, England. It was an amazing opportunity to collaborate and learn from how the English program empowers their players and to network with coaches from England, the Netherlands, Mexico, Portugal, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Here is a little recap of what I got to experience in Manchester:
Teammates
Throughout the week, I spent a lot of my time sharing stories and experiences about homelessness and street soccer programs. Even though I see it through our players in Seattle, it is always extremely motivating to hear about how players are turning their lives around through street soccer. Furthermore, it was a great opportunity to network with coaches and mentors from England, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, sharing how we each bring success in our programs and identifying some ways we can be even more successful in Seattle. Weather it is in the Americas, Europe or beyond, ending homelessness is a team sport and I’m glad to have added so many great teammates to the team.
Real Skills FC Workshops
Each day players from England, the Netherlands, and Mexico, as well as referees from Portugal, sat down together to learn about relationships, teamwork, positivity, perspective, and communication. These skills and more are taught through soccer examples and discussions as part of the Homeless FA’s Real Skills For Change (FC) curriculum. It was great to see players share about the skills they could offer and how to improve their impact—even while overcoming language differences! I’m excited to start weaving some of what I learned into practices in Seattle.
Training Sessions
On the pitch, players battled with new friends, applied skills from the workshops, and honed their touches thanks to coaching led by former Homeless FA players who now have their coaching qualifications through Homeless FA programs. These training sessions were held at Floor Heaven of Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs’ Hotel Football, overlooking Manchester United’s Old Trafford, and at the England National Team Headquarters at St. George’s Park, a place many Homeless FA players told me, “felt like home”!
Activities
Additionally, each day held more excitement for the players. Whether it was the unveiling of Homeless FA players’ recognition in the National Football Museum or walking in the footsteps of legends at Old Trafford or Etihad Stadiums, players experienced football at its finest in England. Furthermore, players had interviews and the opportunity to have their hair cut before a professional portrait in their national team uniforms.
The Tournament
Located in a reenergized warehouse in Old Trafford’s shadow, the final day gave players the opportunity to apply everything they have been working on. Although the players were all great friends now, you could see an added element of focus switched on for the tournament. Street Soccer Scotland also made the trip down for the day. After some great competition, Mexico won both the men’s and women’s tournaments. This, of course, was followed by a short dance party of all the teams in the middle of the court.
If you want to get involved, please email us at info@streetsoccerseattle or go to click on our “Contact Us” page.
This past weekend our Street Soccer Seattle President, Earl Lara, was presented at the halftime match of the Seattle Sounders FC vs Colorado Rapids. Earl has been selected as the Seattle Sounders representative as the Community Outreach MVP in which he will be going to the AT&T MLS All-Star Match in Denver Colorado. 
Please continue to vote for him at www.mlssoccer.com/communitymvp.
During the half, Roger Levesque presented Earl with a Seattle Sounders FC Jersey with his name on it as well as the #90. The number ninety is a common used phrase in the Seattle Community as “giving it your full 90″ (seconds)”. He was also presented with a trophy for his dedication and hard work. The partnership of Seattle Sounders FC and Street Soccer Seattle shows the commitment thru soccer we have to our community.
June 7th, 2015 is our 3rd Annual Cap Hill Soccer Jam at Seattle University Park. This event was founded by Seattle University’s Center For The Study of Sports and Exercise and the Master of Sport Administration and Leadership Program.
Current Participating Organizations are (but not limited to): Golazo, ClifBar, Seattle Bubble Soccer LLC, Arena Sports, Seattle Reign and Seattle Sounders FC.
We would like to announce that we have officially partnered with Seattle Bubble Soccer to better enable us to gain awareness in the Seattle area thru Soccer. We have already partnered with them for some small events but we are happy to make it official for the remainder of the year and hopefully years to come. Chris and Myrrha share the same values as our organization and we can’t wait to increase our footprint in the soccer community! Please see below for our first event scheduled!
The 17th Ave House presents Bubble Soccer Cup. This is an event that will be done in conjunction of with Seattle Bubble Soccer. We recently announced a partnership with Seattle Bubble Soccer and this is one of the first benefits to kick-off this new found friendship. Show your support and check out this tournament at the University of Washington Fields!
Today’s practice session involves “Looking Up” and “Taking The Space”
You have to watch coach Conner as he points in the direction he wants you to go. Watch out as he switches directions a lot!
