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Improving Access to Regular Fitness Opportunities & Growing Presence in Low-Income City Neighborhoods was Top Beyond Soccer Summertime Priority
90 degree temperatures did not keep our dedicated group of high school students from tying up their laces, running through ladders, jumping hurdles, speed rings and throwing medicine balls.
This summer marked our most consistent, well-attended speed and agility program. Our dedicated group of 20+ Lawrence high school students met at Veterans Memorial Stadium, twice weekly, for the past 7 weeks. This determined cohort improved
their fitness and strength levels through drills focused on footwork, coordination, agility and speed.
Look out opposing towns, our Lawrence kids will be ready to compete this fall! In addition to the obvious improvements to participants’ footwork and agility, we observed remarkable gains related to their speed and endurance. 100% scored higher in their summer-ending fitness test, which was justifiably rewarded with a FINAL “fun in the sun” beach workout at Hampton Beach and a post-workout smoothie bar experience! #healthykids #LawrenceMA
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Attorney General Summer Jobs Program helped provide jobs for more than 24 local high school & college students.
“Can you help us find a job?” This, hands down, is the most frequent request we get from our oldest Beyond Soccer participants. Funding from the Attorney General Summer Jobs Program and the Essex County Community Summer Fund has made a huge impact on our ability to hire more youth. Not only does it help high school and college students save for books, uniforms and athletic fees, but it gives them a platform to serve as leaders in their community; teaching, guiding and mentoring our youngest, Beyond Soccer kids (our “leadership development” model). Some of the students hired have been part of our programs for 9 years, including 2 of the girls pictured here!
Yes Its Possible – Si Se Puede. A top summertime priority was to reach kids living in the City’s lowest income neighborhoods, neighborhoods where Beyond Soccer focuses its school-year efforts. This summer we partnered with a terrific group, Si Se Puede; an enrichment program for kids in the Merrimack Courts Housing Project in the lower Tower Hill area. Our staff, including a handful of students hired through the above summer jobs programs, brought soccer activities to these kids every Monday afternoon. Some participants even received scholarships, and transportation, to attend our two-week Soccer & Wellness Camp. Many will be joining our recreational and travel teams this fall. This is all part of our mission to provide year-round, long-term opportunities for kids that will make a real difference in their lives, and partner with organizations, like Si Se Puede, with similar missions so we can have a larger, community impact!
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THANK YOU to the following partners for making this type of summer engagement possible!
Cummings Foundation, Amelia Peabody Foundation, New Balance Foundation, American Heart Association, Dream Big!, Essex County Community Foundation, City of Lawrence, Forest Foundation, Holy Family Hospital, Jessie B. Cox Foundation, Commonwealth Motors, Lawrence Public Schools Summer Meals Program, Eastern Bank, UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program, Clipper Ship Foundation, Everyone’s A Player, Jessie B. Cox, Charles G. Pringle Foundation, Friends of Liverpool Foundation, Benefica USA Soccer Club, Boston Soccer Academy, John Grayson Goalie Clinics, Boston Breakers Women’s Professional Soccer, Greater Lawrence Technical School, Nike Vogelsinger Academy, Francis Okaroh, Boston College Lady Eagles, Harvard University Women’s Soccer, Central Catholic High School, Lawrence High School, MacFitness.
Beyond Soccer received more than 500 pieces of donated equipment from a handful of generous donors this summer! Beyond Soccer would have a great deal of trouble outfitting our kids with soccer gear if it wasn’t for the ongoing generosity of our neighbors. This was another great summer to collect gently used gear, i.e., cleats, shin guards, goalie gloves, apparel, and balls, to divvy out to our players. We would like to send out a special thanks to those who thought of Beyond Soccer this summer. This includes; Dick Loschi, Mark Wickersham (Andover Soccer), Alice Hamed (Windham, NH Soccer), Jack Garrett (Marblehead Soccer) and John Grayson (John Grayson Goalie Clinics).
Can we use baseball cleats for soccer? Not really, baseball cleats are very different than soccer cleats. Kind people often donate used baseball cleats, thinking they can be worn on the soccer field. This year we were able to give away over 100 pair of excellent baseball cleats to a few Lawrence families who have connections to their roots in the Dominican Republic.
Those cleats found their way to many little feet in DR! We are happy to be part of that connection.
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We are currently raising funds to support 15 Lawrence kids in the more competitive club
soccer circuit. The average annual club team costs $2,500.
Please help these players showcase their talents at the next level.
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