Help Hope raise money

This year, I'm running the Falmouth Road Race in support of Soccer Without Borders Boston. SWB uses soccer as a vehicle for positive change, providing newcomer refugee, immigrant, and asylee youth with a toolkit to overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion and personal success. 

I'm lucky enough to work for SWB Boston and coach our high school girls team, which serves 45 girls and non-binary youth. This number is record breaking for SWB Boston, many years the high school girls coaches have struggled to field a team of 11. This is because immigrant high school girls living in urban areas face numerous barriers that keep them from playing. Many of them have to take care of siblings or older relatives while parents work, or else they work to support their family and can't make time for practice. On top of that, there are many social and cultural pressures that keep them from playing. Even with programs like SWB that are free and that provide transportation, many girls don't think that sports are for them. 

The high number of participants in our program this year is a testament to the longterm, consistent work that SWB has done in the East Boston community, as well as the family like environment that the coaches here have cultivated. With low coach to player ratios and an emphasis on the team unit, the program becomes a safe, supportive space where participants can reach their potential on and off the soccer field.  Many participants describe SWB as family. Many of the girls on the high school team this year have grown up playing with SWB in elementary and middle school, and SWB has been a consistent, safe space space in their lives.

As I've gotten to know these participants over the last few months, the biggest thing that has stood out to me is the impact of the SWB community on the youth. They not only participate in the welcoming, family like team environment of SWB, but they create and shape that environment. Participants are the first to welcome new players and coaches, to ask questions if someone is having a bad day, and to remind teammate that we're playing to have fun. Already, in just one month with this team, I've seen strong bonds grow between teammates, even if they speak different languages, and come from different cultural and soccer backgrounds. 

If you are able, please consider helping me reach my $750 goal to support Soccer Without Borders as our chapter continues to grow in East Boston and beyond! Thank you for the support!