Homeless Soccer League advances to Milan

Homeless people, especially in New York City, are used to being ignored by society. 
Many have been so used to it that they have lost hope in seeking help through shelters, rehabilitation centers and other organizations.Social services and case managers are overwhelmed with cases. 

So what's an alternative? Soccer?  That's what Lawrence Cann thought when he founded Street Soccer USA, or SSUSA.

Cann, the founder and CEO of Street Soccer USA, began this organization in 2004.  According to The New York Times, he was a former nationally ranked soccer player at Davidson College who moved from Charlotte, N.C. and started out in a couple volunteers and a dusty gymnasium. 

The first night of practice, "He declared that anybody who showed up drunk or high would not participate that night (but could return the next week). Of the 30 people who have turned out for a practice, only six have not returned a second time,” the Times reported.

Since then, the organization has grown into a soccer league consisting of 16 cities all across the US.  It is an organization dedicated to getting homeless men, women and youth off the streets of America through soccer.

It brings in mentors that build relationships with the players and creates a community of support. 

According to Streetsoccerusa.org, "We train together, strive together, and we listen to each other.

Powerful things happen when human being put their differences aside and really communicate. This type of communication that sport can foster is a true foundation for social change."

In 2009, SSUSA has been under the umbrella of a nationally recognized homeless services provider called HELP USA. 

They work with various case workers, homelessness providers, missionaries and community service providers around the city. They have also partnered with sport equipment companies to supply all equipment for the teams. 

The group hopes to expand their 16-city league to meet the needs of other cities around the country. 

According to Streetsoccerusa.org, "SSUSA is [also] beginning to take steps to pursue a women’s initiative in an effort to get more female participants involved in the street soccer program.”

September 6-13, the National Team joined 47 other national teams in the seventh annual Homeless World Cup in Milan, Italy. The team consisted of seven men and one woman from six different cities across the US ranging from 19 to 47-years-old. 

Prior to the tournament, the team met in the Lower East Side of Manhattan for practices and events.Although Team USA did not come in first place, Cann was quoted in The Chicago Tribune as saying, "28 of the 36 men who have played on the national team have remained off the street.”

Recreational activities have proven to bring people in difficult situations together for an organized purpose.

  Sports not only provide physical exercise, but also teach values such as teamwork, communication, camaraderie, patience and diligence.  Skateboarding has even been introduced in Afghanistan to allow an outlet for kids to be kids again. 

Street Soccer USA’s mission is "soccer for social change.”  There have been several testimonies of the player's success of getting off the streets and into homes, schools and jobs. 

The organization's website goes on to say, "We may not eradicate homeless overnight through sports alone, but SSUSA will change lives, teach important lessons, build self esteem and 75% of players will move off the street within a year of joining the program." .