Soccer For Success is an after-school program which instructs kids on the game of soccer while also incorporating lessons on life skills and nutrition. The program focuses on four key components to promote a healthy lifestyle including physical activity, nutrition, mentorship, and family engagement.
It's important to the future of youth in the community that surrounds Philadelphia Union territory.
Which in turn makes it important to us.
It's also why the Philadelphia Union Foundation recently donated an installment of $25,000 to Widener University to help fund the Soccer For Success program and continue operations throughout Chester schools.
The program operates at Drexel Neumann Academy, Chester Community Charter School, Stetser Elementary School, and Widener Partnership Charter School. In addition to these four schools, Chester Charter School for the Arts held a Soccer For Success pilot program.
“Their athletic department has been able to provide staffing resources that we wouldn’t be able to (provide),” Rick Jacobs, executive director of the Philadelphia Union Foundation, said. “They were the ones that were out front and center to do this. They collected some other community partners. As the Philadelphia Union and the foundation started to take shape, we took over the supporting role with Widener in the process.”
Along with the Philadelphia Union Foundation, Widener, the Crozer-Chester Medical Center, the William H. Trippley Youth Development Foundation, and Chester Youth Collaborative also plan to contribute funds and collectively assist in running the program.
Over the next two years the Philadelphia Union partners will contribute $100,000 to fund the program. The United States Soccer Foundation, which received a federal grant to fund Soccer For Success programs throughout the United States, will match the Union’s donations over the span.
By the end of the next school year, Philadelphia Union partners hope to expand the program to multiple other locations throughout the area -- so this is just the beginning of what all hope is truly a great success.
Contact Union writer Howard Hutchinson at hhutchinson@philadelphiaunion.com
