News headlines in the soccer industry today seem to be all about multi-million dollar transfers and sponsorship deals. Large soccer teams and corporate sponsors keep pouring larger sums of money each summer that continuously changes the dynamics and essence of the beautiful game.
At Senda we believe that as the impact and reach of the game continues to expand, there should be a growing focus on leveraging soccer to improve communities. That is why we partner with leading soccer nonprofit organizations like Soccer Without Borders, which uses soccer as a tool to create a positive impact in their local communities. This leading organization is a member of the streetfootballworld network, and has a mission to "use soccer as a vehicle for positive change, providing under-served youth with a toolkit to overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion, and personal success."
In January 2016, Senda formalized a commitment to support nonprofit soccer organizations by pledging 1 percent of our annual sales to provide them with much needed equipment on an ongoing bases. Thanks to the support of our customers who choose Senda's products, every year we are able to provide brand new equipment to organizations like Soccer without Borders, as well as Street Soccer USA and BORP Power Soccer (we will share their stories in future posts).
Soccer Without Borders is an organization where soccer brings diversified people together. The founder of Soccer Without Borders, Ben Gucciardi, emphasizes that soccer should bring people together and provide a safe place for those who are new to the country. Because Senda and Soccer Without Borders share the same values, our partnership mutually benefits one another.
Since 2016, Senda has been their official game ball and has expanded our support to not only sponsoring equipment to the Oakland, CA chapter but also sponsoring Greeley CO, Boston MA and Baltimore, MD chapters. But our history can be traced back to seven years ago when we first agreed on a partnership. Since then, Santiago, founder of Senda, has personally coached soccer at the Oakland Refugee Community Camp for Soccer WIthout Borders.
Our goal is to help bring back the classic or romantic version of the game we love, the one that involves expressing oneself, building community, and creating moments of pure joy. As Mary McVeigh, Executive Director of Soccer Without Borders said, “Senda shares our commitment to using soccer as a vehicle for positive change, and this partnership aims to strengthen both of our abilities to do just that.” Soccer Without Borders focuses on five different aspects: soccer, educational support, civic engagement, team building and cultural exchange. Each category is equally important since Soccer Without Borders strives to develop a whole person rather than a single player - to create a supportive team community.
See you on the field!
Cross-posted with from Senda Blog