Let's Kick it, St. Louis

On September 28, grab your cleats and head to Hermann Stadium at Saint Louis University for the third annual Great America SCORES Soccer Dribble. Your goal? To team up with more than 2,000 supporters of America SCORES affiliates across the nation to beat the Guinness World Record for the most soccer balls dribbled by a group simultaneously, a record currently held by players from the Gaza Strip.

As cool as “World Record Holder” would look on your resume, it’s nothing compared to the difference you’ll make in the lives of children at risk. Proceeds from the Soccer Dribble benefit America SCORES’ efforts in partnering with urban schools to provide high-quality, team-based programs integrating soccer, poetry and service learning.

Through its work, America SCORES helps 3,000 kids right here in St. Louis build their skills and self-confidence.

Soccer is just the start

Since 2005, America SCORES St. Louis has delivered its unique programs directly to children in the St. Louis City and Normandy school districts, including at seven schools this past year. America SCORES’ approach helps strengthen the minds and bodies of kids in kindergarten through eighth grade as well as the communities in which they live.

The America SCORES program kicks off each year with an introduction to soccer – a game that stresses the importance of teamwork and healthy living. Remarked John Suggs, executive director for America SCORES St. Louis, “Soccer is a universal sport to promote physical expression and healthy movement. You don’t have to be the fastest or the tallest or the most athletic to experience all the positive things that come with being on a team, such as accountability, teamwork and inclusion.

"We’re not training for the World Cup here – we’re giving children a sense of pride that comes with being part of something.” This sense of teamwork extends into the classroom and throughout the community. Team members, led by America SCORES-trained teachers and coaches, spend three days after school with a soccer ball and two days a week with pen and paper.

Through poetry sessions, these “poet athletes” are able to find their voices, express their feelings and strengthen their writing skills, free from judgment. In addition, the teams regularly volunteer together by cleaning up neighborhoods and assembling food baskets to, as Suggs noted, “give back to a community that has given to them.”

“These three programs really make up the national America SCORES movement. The soccer aspect focuses on healthy living and making better choices, the poetry aspect impacts literacy with skills that spill over into the classroom, and the service aspect teaches kids to become good citizens.”

Warming up for the second half

The Soccer Dribble is one of America SCORES St. Louis’ biggest fundraising events of the year and is critical in helping the organization grow its programs, both in the number of kids served and in the services offered. According to Suggs, the organization plans on increasing its healthy living efforts, such as teaching kids to cook and choosing smarter options, as well as an expanding its commitment to the arts beyond poetry to encompass all aspects of creative self-expression, from improvisation to music.

Through all of its current and future programs, America SCORES is dedicated to fostering academic achievement and making an impact to help ensure kids graduate high school and set the course for a successful future.

With every dribble on September 28, you and your family can help build a child’s confidence both on and off the soccer field. For just $15, your Soccer Dribble entry includes a t-shirt, soccer ball and ticket to the SLU Billikens Men’s Soccer homecoming game, which immediately follows the event. Registration begins at 4 p.m., and additional activities include face painting, food carts, bounce houses, and soccer clinics led by semi-pro players.

To learn more about the event or America SCORES programs, visit www.americascores.org/affiliates/st-louis.

Photos: America Scores St. Louis