'Soccer in the Streets' teaches more than just soccer skills
ATLANTA - Founded in Atlanta in 1989, Soccer in the Streets reaches kids through soccer play, work-readiness training, hands-on experiential activities, and participation in youth leadership councils.
Since the pandemic, the organization has not been able to play as much soccer as they'd like, due to the social distancing guidelines.
Organizers say the organization is about much more than just teaching youth soccer skills. They learn how to connect socially, learn about financial literacy, and more.
With protest and gun violence at a high rate in the city, the organization is making sure to be there for the youth who may need to talk.
Recently, the organization lost one of their own, Secoria Turner. She was killed over the 4th of July weekend while riding with her mother and a friend.
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Executive Director Phil Hill says Secoria was a member of one of their after school programs. He says her death hit the entire organization hard.
Soccer in the Streets wants their youth to know that it's ok to talk about your feelings in these situations. They've set up online support groups with parents and the youth.
To learn more about Soccer in the Streets organization click here.