Giving back: Soccer for Everyone

I sit on the Board of Directors for our local soccer association. About a year ago, within the organization, I started a group called Soccer for Everyone. Based on a group from a nearby association, the idea was to collect gently used soccer equipment that families no longer needed, and pass it on to families who cannot afford to buy gear for the upcoming soccer season. Our little committee of four has been working hard this year to collect the gear to get this project off the ground.

Our little committee, plus one

It took about 30 volunteers to sort through all the equipment, clean and pair the shoes, deflate the balls and organize and pair everything else (including shin guards, socks, bags, and other soccer related clothing). Last Saturday we lined it all up and opened the doors for families to come grab what they needed. We had no idea what to expect, but were super excited for how many items we had collected.

And that's only part of the room!
There were a couple more rows of clothes behind the camera.

When all was said and done, we figure we outfitted about 25-30 kids (8 families) for the upcoming soccer season. Some of the families arrived with gear they had outgrown to add to the donation pile, which was pretty cool. One mom outfitted, from head to toe, her two kids and three foster kids. It was great to see all the kids so excited to try on shoes and pick out clothes. There were a couple little girls who were VERY excited and wanted to wear their new attire home (shin guards, socks and all). It was a great afternoon.


We still have a lot more gear we'd like to give away, and we are determined to collect more. With 5000 families in the NYSA community, I know there are a lot of folks out there who haven't even heard of what we are doing yet; I know there are families in need and families willing to help and we are determined to find them all. 

In a few weeks NYSA will be hosting our end of summer Jamboree and we plan to do it all again. We are going to bring all the collected equipment out to the fields, hopefully add to the donation pile, and offer up the gear to whomever is in need. I can't wait!

Having been a single mom, having struggled financially, I understand what it feels like to be in need. And I understand the relief and gratitude when you find a way to give your kids what they want and still feel good about yourself. It feels good to be able to pay it forward and I am determined to make this a lasting part of our soccer community.