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Washington D.C.

Management: Megan Hustings, Sarah Guy, Omar Abdul-Baki

Coaches: Jeremy Wong, Bardia Sassanpour, Omar Abdul-Baki

Year of Participation: Fourth

Level of Programming: 1D

About the Program

Street Soccer D.C. (known as the D.C. Knights) is made up of players associated with Neighbors Consejo, a nonprofit social service agency designed to ensure that services and programs are available to the Hispanic/Latino community, with a particular emphasis on substance abuse treatment and transitional housing. In addition, Thrive D.C., the National Coalition for the Homeless and Street Sence DC are integral partners in recruitment, management, and awreness of the Street Soccer D.C. team, as well as Strret Soccer USA overall. DC Street Soccer has recieved a big boost in 2010 with the establishment of another new relationship, District SPorts, a recently turned non-profit running recreational soccer leagues in the Washington area, has granted the club entry into its winter league as well as a spot in its annual Cherry Blossom Festival. DS has also organized the donation of additional equipment and is championing the Street Soccer cause to area soccer players of all ages. This will be the fourth cup that the national Coal ition for the Homeless and Street Sense have partnered with SSUSA to help organize, and witohut their aid the event would not have been able to reach the level of success it has.

The practice squad of 20 trains on a weekly basis, with regular scrimmages against recreational soccer teams in the area, facilitated throughout District Sports. In 2009, the core team of eight placed seventh overall in the US Cup.

The D.C. Knights participated in the MLS Futbolito 4v4 Tournament at the Maryland Soccerplex and have trained alongside the D.C. United soccer team. They also competed in the annual Cherry Blossom festival this part April.

Looking to 2010, Street Soccer D.C. hopes to further establish the training system such that a smaller group of homeless players compete among a team of non-homelless players, allowing case managers and coaches to focus more closely on the homeless individual while also helping the Street Soccer players to establish connections off the streets.

Results

Of the core team to participate in the U.S. Cup, five are currently employed and living in independent situations. Case managers from Neighbor's Consejo reported that 90% of the participants in the soccer program have remained sober for longer than any of their previous attemptes at sobriety and that the team is a major contributor to the positive community they are trying to create at the agency.