U.S. Soccer Foundation

Soccer for Success is an evidence-based youth development program that uses soccer as a tool to combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles for children in underserved urban communities. Through the pillars of physical activity, nutrition education, mentorship, and family engagement, Soccer for Success provides a unique and powerful vehicle for a child’s positive development. This year, we will be improving the health and social outcomes of 610 youth from underserved communities in Miami through this program. Evaluation results demonstrate that children who undergo just one year of Soccer for Success exhibit improved BMI (Body Mass Index), aerobic capacity, and eating habits. Our innovative approach to mentoring also connects youth in underserved communities in Miami with caring adults trained as coach-mentors. These coach-mentors run the program and are exemplary role models to the participants. To take a 360-degree approach to address major barriers to a healthy lifestyle, Soccer for Success also fosters the well-being of children’s families and entire communities by serving as a hub for wraparound services; such as preventative health education, nutrition education, and parent engagement.

We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to play soccer in a safe place. Urban areas often lack available space for children to play outside. In order to provide an opportunity for all children to play soccer, we have taken on the task of providing children across the nation with safe places to play. Our Safe Places to Play program provides grants to organizations to help them build or enhance a field space in their communities. To date, we have helped transform over 1,200 safe play spaces for children nationwide, including in Miami. For communities where space is at a premium, Safe Places to Play developed “mini-pitches”. These innovative play spaces are small, customized areas perfectly suited for organized soccer programs and pick-up games. Mini-pitches provide a quality playing surface for kids and transform the look and feel of communities.