Meet Moustapha Bangoura & Justine Grimmond, San Francisco Homeless World Cup Representatives
The women’s team placed 12th of 16 and the men placed 29th of 40th at the 16th edition of the Homeless World Cup
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Moustapha has thrived during his tenure as a player with Street Soccer USA. He’s been so successful that he has gotten involved as a coach to push the mission forward in San Francisco communities.
Moustapha emigrated from Guinea a few years ago. The transition to American lifestyle and speaking English as a second language has at times been challenging and frustrating for him. Through Moustapha‘s involvement on his SSUSA San Francisco Community Club Team in the Tenderloin, Moustapha has cultivated important skills such as persistence, optimism and resilience, which has helped him push through the adversity he regularly confronts.
When asked about a SSUSA Skill that resonates with Moustapha, he answers, “Take the Space”. At SSUSA Take The Space is a skill greater than simply moving into an open area on the soccer field. It’s about capitalizing on every chance to say “yes” and grow as individual. This is just what Moustapha has done. From traveling to Russia to be a part of the FIFA Foundation Festival for Hope, to playing in the SSUSA National Cup in Sacramento or being 1 out of the 7 men to represent SSUSA in the 2018 Homeless World Cup in Mexico City, Moustapha has become an inspiration to his coaches, managers, teammates and friends. And the journey is just beginning, Moustapha is wrapping up his senior year in High School and is busy submitting applications to go to college next year!
Justine Grimmond (San Francisco): Justine grew up in Clayton, in the East Bay. Justine has played soccer her whole life as a center midfielder and reconnected with the game through her recovery program in SF. She is now a stalwart coach at more than five programs for Street Soccer’s After-school youth programs this year.
You might see her in the SF office planning practices session or uploading program data or out on the fields in our I PLAY FOR league or coaching youth programs across the city!
We are proud of these two leaders who are paying it forward and staying involved in the community, paving the way for those who come behind them.
