What a Summer!

Before we turn the page to fall, we wanted to share what this summer looked like across Lawrence. Building on the World Cup highlights we shared in July, we ran our 15th annual Soccer & Wellness Camp, coordinated five Summer Nights locations, and put dozens of local teens to work. And this summer, our 15 years in Lawrence caught the eye of the Eagle Tribune. Take a look.

In the News: 15 Years of Beyond Soccer

If you missed it, Bill Burt of the Eagle Tribune told our story this summer, from a single girls' team on a dirt field to 9,000 youth served over 15 years.

"If not for Beyond Soccer and that first experience, I wouldn't be where I am today." - Esmerelda Hernandez, one of our very first players, now a clinical mental health counselor.

Summer Impact

Beyond Soccer filled Lawrence with soccer enrichment, on and off the field. Our free Summer Nights programs brought the game to five neighborhoods, including new sites at the Guilmette School and futsal at The Farm.

By day, our two-week Soccer & Wellness Camp mixed training with hands-on stations on hydration and nutrition, movement games, and visits from the Lawrence Library, Police, and Fire Departments. Daily visits from Kona Ice even inspired camper-created songs and conga lines that have become a new camp tradition.

Beyond camp, ten players had their first overnight at the Brazilian Arts Academy at St. Anselm College, ten more spent five days at the Revolution Academy in Lancaster, and we teamed up with the Lawrence Recreation Department to bring soccer right to where kids already were.

"This program is truly a gift to our community. My kids are already looking forward to coming back next year! As an educator myself, I appreciate the access to sports education for those who may not be able to do so otherwise." ~Parent

In addition to running our programs, our youth employees gained valuable skills and experiences that will extend well beyond the workplace.

Skills that save lives, money & expand their "horizons!"

Our youth hires spent a day with Ellie's CPR and First Aid Training, learning to recognize cardiac arrest, perform chest compressions, and use an AED. They also trained with the Positive Coaching Alliance on using the game to build confidence and character, and took a financial literacy course covering credit, saving, and investing. And for the first time, each hire tracked their own growth through start-and-end-of-summer self-assessments and exit interviews.

At the end of the summer, our coach mentors took on Mt. Monadnock, a four- hour round-trip climb and a first hike for most. They pushed through the tough stretches and cheered each other on. Reaching the summit as a team is the kind of shared challenge that builds bonds.

Our Youngest Jr Coaches Stepped Up

Justin and Lynnette, two of our youngest hires, joined us as Jr. Coaches through MassHire's Tier 1 YouthWorks program. They helped run camps and evening programs and took part in all of our training, capping the summer with a final project for MassHire.

That project? Building a Summer Recap Report from scratch to present to our whole team, including their mentors Ashley and Andy (pictured with them), and to our supervisor from MassHire, Ana.

In Case You Missed Our World Cup Summer ...

Before our camps even began, this summer made history. We were named one of 27 inaugural grantees of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. Our players trained alongside the French National Team, and six of our youth plus Coach Mentor Issandel represented Lawrence at Festival 26 in Boston, alongside young people from 17 countries. Finally, in partnership with Mass Youth Soccer, Beyond Soccer hosted a World Cup Festival at Lawrence Stadium that brought together 600 people and a 40' screen to create an ultimate watch party!

→ Read the full story in our August newsletter