Nov. 13, 2008
TAKING IT TO THE STREETS
U.S. to play in 4 v 4 Homeless World Cup in Australia Nov. 27-Dec. 8

Eight homeless men ranging in age from 19 to 41 and residing in California, Georgia, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, and Texas will constitute Street Soccer U,S’s National Team traveling to Melbourne, Australia for the Homeless World Cup, Nov.27-Dec. 8. They will compete with 47 other nations in a 4 v 4 soccer tournament.

Under the umbrella of one of the nation’s leading homeless service providers, HELP USA (based in New York), Street Soccer USA, in partnership with local agencies, organizes soccer for social change projects for the homeless in 13 cities across the nation. Founder Lawrence Cann has watched the program spread from humble beginnings.

“We believe Street Soccer can be an agent for social change across the U.S.," he said, "especially as urban centers in the US adopt the sport. Four years ago we saw the impact on the local community and decided we had to spread it. ”

Based on positive actions on and off the field, Street Soccer USA chose eight players out of more than 100 from these projects at its groundbreaking national tournament, The Homeless USA Cup, in Washington DC this past June. All participants had been homeless for at least four months during the last year. Seven of the eight national team players are now living independently since joining the soccer program. Each of them points to soccer as the reason why they are off the streets today.

Diego Vivieros of Manhatan, N.Y. is New York's lone representative.

One of them, Cornelius Bracy Jr. of Santa Rosa, Calif., 24, grew up playing for top soccer clubs and even earned a scholarship to Howard University. Drawn into drugs and gangs, Cornelius, found himself sleeping on the street and homeless for the better part of three years, instead of playing college soccer,. Cornelius has turned his life around. He’s off the street, sober for 13 months, and training to be an electrician.

“I feel so good about my life right now," Bracy said.” It’s important for me to remember where I was, but I am really excited to think about where I am going. Street soccer gave me a goal, it gave me hope."

Cornelius is not the exception. Internationally, 77 percent of participants in Street Soccer programs make a significant life changes such as moving off the street, or pursuing further education.

With 800,000 people homeless on any given night in the U.S., homelessness is a widespread and worsening national problem. Maria Cuomo-Cole, chair of the board at HELP USA, explains why HELP USA backs the program, “Being accountable to teammates, having a community focused on moving forward and achieving goals behind you, these are the ingredients for positive change in people’s lives,” she said.

Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the National Coalition for The Homeless noted another aspect. “Street Soccer challenges public perceptions about who the homeless are and what they need," he said. "By humanizing the issue it helps build public will for addressing the problem.”

The U.S. team is training in Los Angeles Nov. 23-26 before departing Thanksgiving Day for Melbourne. You can follow the progress of Cornelius and his teammates and learn more about their stories on the Street Soccer USA blog (www.streetsoccerusablog.com)leading up to and during the Homeless World Cup. The blog will post videos and first hand narratives from the players.