In August 2016, Street Soccer USA-Bay Area kicked off it’s after-school soccer program for the Eastbay Collaborative for Underserved Children (ECUC), as part of the 21st Century Community Learning Center, managed by UC Berkeley. This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. Street Soccer USA’s Ben Anderson sat down with ECUC Program Administrator Adrienne Herd to learn more about the impact this partnership has in the community.
Have the children at the ECUC Sites been responding well to the Street Soccer USA Program?
A resounding yes! The SSUSA Program is the first opportunity for a structured program teaching the youth about building relationships in addition to acquiring soccer skills. Relationship building is such an important aspect of the enrichment for the ECUC youth.
Has soccer been an effective tool in engaging the ECUC Youth?
Another resounding yes! For our demographic, soccer has a huge appeal, not just as a sport, but as a cultural phenomenon. The children are very eager to participate in soccer. SSUSA has a special identity and brand that makes the youth feel like they’re a part of something special – part of an organization that’s bigger than them. And, it’s associated with something socially and culturally important to them. The fact that students have opportunity to identify with the SSUSA brand through the coaches, uniforms, and gear increases SSUSA’s overall effectiveness.
Does the Street Soccer USA mission and approach align with that of the ECUC Project?
The ECUC Mission is more oriented to academic achievement, however in terms of creating global citizens that are conscientious and aware, the SSUSA Mission is connected. SSUSA’s value oriented mission actually adds something that we haven’t articulated. SSUSA combines values in a way that appeals to the contextual framework of community through athletic participation. Everybody wants to be part of a team, so these values provide an important element.
Have you seen the children involved in the SSUSA Program grow as a result of their participation?
Yes, definitely! The ECUC Youth demonstrate more empathy and compassion, and are less likely to engage in shaming and bullying as a result of involvement in the SSUSA Program. The ECUC Youth are really able to grow through being a part of a team.
Street Soccer USA has on-boarded many UC Berkeley Work Study Students, and trained them at SSUSA Coaches. Have you seen the UC Berkeley Work Study Students grow through their tenure as SSUSA Coaches?
This is difficult to comment on, because I don’t actually see them in the field. What I can say is that we have a lot of UC Berkeley Undergrads that go to work at these schools in support of project goals. Having SSUSA as a program provides a context for the youth to connect and interact with the UC Berkeley Undergrads in a focused intentional style of engagement. In that sense it’s been a real benefit for the ECUC Youth to have SSUSA as a platform/vehicle to interact UC Berkeley Students.
What has been the highlight of the SSUSA – ECUC Partnership thus far?
The synergy of schools and students around the East Bay Street Soccer Fest. The youth really identified with their schools/teams, and were a part of something bigger. For years we’ve tried to have a cross collaborative event, and SSUSA brought expertise to make it seamless. It was a inspirational moment to see the youth playing with heart in very challenging (rainy) conditions, and that was a real highlight.