Brothers with a Mission to Make a Difference

Marko & Nick unloading the gear

What do you get when you add energetic, motivated children to a supported community and youth soccer?

An inspiring story of two brothers who want to make a difference in communities that don't look like theirs!

Meet Nick and Marko, Steck Elementary School Student Council leaders, who organized and operated collections of gently used soccer gear for America SCORES Denver through their school and the teams at Colorado Rapids Academy.

Nick and Marko's messages to the SCORES participants as shared by each:

          Message From Nick:

Hi SCORES SOCCER STARS! The students from Steck Elementary School collected 92 items for the students at Scores Denver including: 24 pairs of cleats, 2 pair goalkeeper gloves, 13 pairs of shin guards, 6 pairs of socks, 15 t-shirts, 14 shorts and 18 soccer balls, for you to use during recess and after-school. I hope you have lots of fun playing soccer at your schools, and score a million goals too! Go SCORES!!

          From Marko and the Rapids Youth Academy:

Hello America SCORES-Denver students! Last week the Rapids Academy boys and girls held a soccer gear collection drive for your club. We are sending a big box of brand new cleats, socks, balls and soccer bags too. Have fun juggling, making great moves while dribbling, and score two million goals!!

Donations by Steck Elementary 

America SCORES Denver staff members are so appreciative of these boys' efforts!  It's especially wonderful because our spring programming has a community focus and each of our teams are currently involved in service-learning. The voices of youth in Denver communities are powerful and inspiring!   

Thanks to Colorado Rapids Academy for "kicking" in the gear bags,
socks, and a box full of brand new cleats! 

Big, Exciting News for SCORES and Our Partners!

On March 7, 2012, the U.S. Soccer Foundation awarded a $300,000 Social Innovation Fund Sub-Grant to Colorado Fusion Soccer Club to support the implementation of Soccer for Success in Denver, in collaboration with America SCORES Denver and The Piton Foundation. 

                                           


Soccer for Success is the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s after-school, sports-based youth development program that uses soccer as a tool to combat childhood obesity and provides nutrition education and mentorship to children in at-risk communities.  Read the full Press Release and share the news with your network!


This is really exciting for our community and our partners at Colorado Fusion Soccer Club, with whom we will be working to serve 1,200 students!  Receiving this grant will allow us to take soccer into a group of schools within the area referred to as the Children's Corridor, a 14-mile strip of Denver and Aurora with a high population of children living in poverty and/or at-risk of being left behind.


The Social Innovation Fund requires that each federal dollar granted be matched by the intermediaries and again by the organizations selected to receive a Sub-Grant. Colorado Fusion Soccer Club was one of thirteen non-profit organizations across the nation to receive the 2012 Soccer for Success SIF Sub-Grant. Implementation of Soccer for Success will begin in Fall/Winter 2012. In Denver, The Piton Foundation is leading the efforts to raise the local match.


We are thankful for the partnership of Colorado Fusion Soccer Club and the Piton Foundation, and are looking forward to making the plans on paper a reality in the coming months!


Check back often to watch our progress and read our news.

Preparing for Spring

It may still look and feel like winter outside, but we're busy with preparations for America SCORES Denver's spring 2012 season.

We have a lot going on--National Poetry SLAM! poets' meetings and practice for the exiting April trip to New York City; soccer and writing coach training sessions are next week for the whole SCORES Corps; Inspired Art project artists began submitting their original works as inspired by our very own poet-athletes; and students in all ten schools are getting geared up for their first sessions March 12. Make sure to check out our upcoming events to the right and join us for games or events.

What could be better than a Friday afternoon in spring?  Volunteering outside with SCORES kids on our game days!  We love volunteers to offer their time and talents at our special events as well...

• Are you a business owner who could be a sponsor?  We need help with April's Inspired Art, July's SCORES Cup, and have many opportunities for businesses to help continue our programs in Denver schools.
• Do you have friends with bare walls?  Make sure to get tickets to Inspired Art, at Artwork Network in Denver's Art District on Santa Fe, April 12! 
• Are you, or do you have a connection who might be, an expert who would be a guest speaker in our schools when our students research their community projects through the spring service learning?
• Do you have public speaking or poetry performance experience?  Let us know you'd like to help our National Poetry SLAM! representatives practice for their big day at the Apollo Theater.
• Are you a runner?  Sign up for the Colfax Marathon because we're a charity partner!
• Love to help but can't get off work in time for weekday activities?  Volunteer at our Jamboree! round-robin style tournament to be held at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, May 18 from 5:00 to 8:00PM.

We'll find a place for you if you want to work with us!  Contact Nikole at 303-832-5879 or nbrunscarey@americascores.org

A New Year & New Additions to the Calendar

Happy 2012 to our supporters!  We hope everyone enjoyed a healthy holiday season and that you're having a great winter so far.

Even though this is our "off season" we're busy at America SCORES Denver.  Our Coach Across America members have been running winter sessions with several schools in both P.E. classes and during recess hours.  Some of our poet-athletes are practicing their poems for the upcoming National Poetry SLAM! Auditions to be hosted by Starbucks in REI on February 1.  Planning is in the works for a great spring season packed full of student-led service projects and soccer fun.  We also look forward to special events...

Please SAVE THE DATE for Inspired Art, to be held at Artwork Network Thursday, April 12, 2012.  We are hearing great things about this year's poetry and welcome returning and new artists to join the project.  Please visit the Poetry page to see what inspires you this year and make sure to visit the Artists' Corner to sign up, or forward the opportunity to those you know who would like to be a part of the magic!

Psalm One is wrapping up her tour

Recent news about our favorite rapper, Psalm One, who worked with Knapp Elementary SCORES participants in Denver this fall...
She has been busy in 2011! With a music release, an appearance on MTV's MADE, and the nationwide tour with The ASCAP Songwriter Residency @ America SCORES, Psalm has been going non-stop.
Help support her mission and her music by pledging to her Kickstarter project! There are a few days left to reach the goal of $8,000, and they need everyone's help! You can pledge even $1, and by doing so you'll be helping her upgrade her equipment, finish the last studio sessions for her next full-length commercial release, and more importantly you'll be helping her continue her youth mentoring program, Charm Lab!

Thanks to everyone who supports Psalm One in her journey, as you're helping our poet-athletes' voices be heard.

Soccer Clinics Benefit SCORES

Over 60 kids participated in the "F-U-N holiday soccer clinic (ages u5-u9)" and "attacking soccer clinic (ages 10-12)" this week at Bill Roberts school.  The curriculum focused on fun, attack-oriented games and offensive skills.  All activities were co-developed and administered by experienced player-coaches including Bob Boyle, America SCORES Denver Board of Directors member and volunteer, and his brother Bill Boyle, a United States Soccer Federation 'A' licensed coach.

Our very own Executive Director and Coach Across America members were also part of the fun which had to be moved indoors to Bill Roberts school due to the Denver snow.  We had an amazing group of soccer players both days, and thanks to the generous contributions of participants $1,000 is being donated to America SCORES Denver.

None of this would have been possible without the donated time and energy of the Boyle brothers--what a great gift of fitness and fun to the participants, and a much appreciated gift of money to continue the inspirational programming provided to SCORES' poet-athletes in 2012!  Thanks to you all!

We're featured in Sunday's "Denver & The West"

Chris Webb instructs Eagleton Elementary students
in soccer after school on a recent afternoon,
as part of America SCORES Denver,
which combines academics and activity.
(RJ Sangosti, the Denver Post)

The Sunday December 4th Denver Post included an article highlighting America SCORES Denver as part of the "Season to Share" series.  Photos and video from a soccer practice and coaches at Eagleton Elementary were featured. See the story online at this link:  denverpost.com/news and check out  the video as well!

Cassandra Arreola, a 5th grader
in Denver, plays soccer after school
as part of the America SCORES program.
(RJ Sangosti, the Denver Post)

We're pleased to be one of the organizations that received funding through Denver Post Charities Season to Share! Nearly $2.7 million was granted to local nonprofit agencies through this program last year.  Donations are matched at 50 cents to the dollar, and 100% of all contributions plus the match goes to local nonprofits.

Have you shared yet? See the coupon in Sunday's paper or call 800-518-3972 or visit seasontoshare.com