D.C. United and its non-profit arm, United for D.C.,will be holding two days of tournaments to mark the end of the spring season ofUnited Soccer Club. The tournaments will involve all children, ages 6-12, whichparticipated in United Soccer Club this spring. The events will be held on Wednesday,June 1 and Friday, June 3 from 4:30-7:15 p.m. on the RFK Stadium Training Fieldand will feature matches, player autographs, D.C. United mascot Talon, carnivalgames, music, and much more.
This one-of-a-kind tournament brings together youth from acrossthe District, Virginia and Maryland to RFK, exemplifying D.C. United’swide-ranging commitment to the community. All participants will have recentlycompleted a 10-week soccer training, as part of United Soccer Club, and willhave the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of several D.C. Unitedplayers. On Wednesday, June 1, joining the United Soccer Club tournament willbe D.C. United defender Jed Zayner. In addition, on Friday June 3, midfielderKurt Morsink, will be on site. Family and friends are welcome to attend, andfood and drinks will be provided for the student athletes as part of theprogram’s focus on healthy lifestyles.
As part of this year’s tournament, D.C. United has teamedup with the One World Futbol Project and Social(k), an award-winning Bcorporation which supplies socially-responsible retirement plans for B Corpsand similar companies. Through a donation from Social(k), tournamentparticipants will play using the One World Futbol—the world’s first,ultra-durable, all-terrain ball. Inaddition, 100 of the ultra-durable balls will be donated directly to UnitedSoccer Club, a program formed to introduce the sport of soccer to youth ininner-city and underprivileged communities of the greater Washington, D.C.area. Social(k) donates 8.5% of pre-tax net revenue annually.
United Soccer Club enrolled close to 800 children in theprogram this spring, teaching the participants the importance of a healthylifestyle through physical activity and proper nutrition, as well as life skillsthat are beneficial on and off the field. The program operates at 12 sites andthis season added two middle school teams. All teams met three times a weekafter school for 90 minute sessions, and players were taught by D.C. Unitedstaff, current and former United players, and talented local coaches. The 2011season also saw the addition of friendly matches throughout the season,furthering the participant’s sense of team, commitment, and healthycompetition.
The 2011 expansion introduced two new middle school sites:Harrison Parks and Recreation and Friendship Academy Public Charter. New sitesintroduced over the past year include Fort Davis Parks and Recreation Center inWard 7, the Fishing School at J.O. Wilson Elementary School in Ward 6 – allwhile continuing in the existing sites of Barry Farm Recreation Center, KetchamElementary School, Boys & Girls Club at Orr Elementary and the FBR Branchat THEARC in Ward 8, Turkey Thicket Recreation Center in Ward 5, HarrisonRecreation Center and Parkview Recreation Center in Ward 1, Richard EnglandClubhouse #14 in Ward 7, Long Branch Community Center in Silver Spring, Md. andWalter Reed Community Center in Arlington, Va.
United Soccer Club was born from a request in Ward 8 foropportunities for children to play organized soccer. In the spring of 2006,United for D.C. launched its own after school soccer program, in partnershipwith D.C. Parks and Recreation at Barry Farm Recreation Center. The program hasincorporated a formal healthy lifestyles curriculum in an effort to combat theregion’s high rate of obesity amongst children. The spring session also sawparticipation in a number of special events including a AJAX Amsterdam - D.C.United Clinic.
United Soccer Club,sponsored by the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Volkswagen and The Department ofHealth, is one of the many community outreach ventures of United for D.C.Others include the Kicks for Kids program, through which thousands ofunderprivileged children will have an opportunity to watch United play nextseason, as well as United Reads, currently presented in six DC elementaryschools. This program distributes nearly 8,000 books during player visitsthroughout the year.
Launchedin July 2010, the One World Futbol Project developed the One World Futbol—anultra-durable, all-terrain ball that never deflates and plays on any surface.The company sells the One World Futbol wholesale directly to institutions andorganizations, as well as to individual consumers through a “Give One Get One”model. For every ball bought at retail, the company is committed to donating asecond ball to a community in need. The One World Futbol Project isheadquartered in Berkeley, California, with offices in Napa. Since launching,the One World Futbol has been introduced in 83 countries through 107organizations on the ground in war zones, refugee camps, inner cities, andother harsh environments for use in their work with individuals in need. Formore information, visit http://oneworldfutbol.com.
For more information on these programs or how fans cancontribute time or money to these worthy causes, please contact United for D.C.at 202-587-5000.
