FOOTBALL4GOOD MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2019

Soccer Without Borders Founder Ben Gucciardi with player Haseen M. during a training session of the U-19 Boys at Soccer Without Borders Oakland, 2017. “WHEN OUR TEAMS PLAY A FORMAL 11 V 11 MATCH YOU MIGHT HAVE YOUTH FROM 10 COUNTRIES ON THE FIELD, SPEAKING 7 DIFFERENT FIRST LANGUAGES. THEY ARE ALL ABLE TO FORM ONE UNIT, AND PLAY TOGETHER. THERE ARE FEW BETTER EXAMPLES OF SOCCER’S ABILITY TO CROSS BORDERS THAN THIS!” Ben Gucciardi, Founder of Soccer Without Borders Enter the Universe again. Just weeks after recognising that the organi- sation needed accounting support that it couldn’t afford, an accountant named Anna Lippi offered to help Soccer Without Borders rebuild its infrastructure. By this time, Soccer Without Borders had sprouted programmes in 12 locations and had become subject to closer scrutiny. “In the United States, non-profits are some of the most highly regulated entities at both the federal and state levels, but not all of those regulations are clear,” Mary comments, acknowl- edging that, “sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know.” Over the next two years, some difficult choices needed to be made to focus on “doing fewer things and doing them well”, but they “made us simpler and stronger,” Mary con- firms. As Soccer Without Borders was maturing, Ben and Mary’s roles were also developing. Ben decided that this should also be reflected of- ficially. He advocated to the organi- sation’s Board of Directors to award Mary the title of ‘Co-Founder’. “It’s an accurate representation of the history of this organisation”, Ben explains. “Without her input, Soccer Without Borders may not have emerged from those early years.” By 2015, Soccer Without Borders was truly back on track. The impact the organisation was having with its work in refugee communities across the United States led to Ben being hon- oured as a ‘Champion of Change’ by President Obama’s White House. The following year, as the global displace- ment crisis was topping 60 million people, Soccer Without Borders was awarded the $250,000 Lipman Family Prize from the Wharton School of Business, one of the largest prizes for social impact in the United States. While humbled by the recognition for their work, both Ben and Mary see the organisation’s success reflected elsewhere. “One of the most exciting developments of recent years,” Ben enthuses, “is seeing how many pro- gramme alumni come back to serve as Soccer Without Borders coaches or coordinators.” New coaching positions and pathways provided opportunities for alumni to earn an income while also giving back to their communities. One of those coaches is Jules Mayele of Soccer Without Borders Uganda. Jules fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an adolescent, and discovered Soccer Without Borders in his new home of Kampala. After years of participation as a student A coach and player from Soccer Without Borders in Uganda in 2014. and player, Jules demonstrated a keen talent for teaching English class- es to young refugees going through the same challenges he faced. “These alumni know intimately the challeng- es of current participants, and are able to serve as community naviga- tors in addition to coaching,” Ben explains, “So many young people are looking for ways to serve and make a positive impact, and to see them do- ing that through SWB is so inspiring.” With 23 alumni currently employed across the organisation, Mary adds that they hope, “that someday a pro- gramme graduate will be at the helm of Soccer Without Borders.” Over the years, the Soccer Without Borders team couldn’t help but notice the pattern that “the universe seemed to reappear every now and again, showing up right when we needed something the most,” as Mary notes. Most recently, in 2018, one of those moments took the form of Common Goal support which has since helped Soccer Without Borders advance their work in Nicaragua and Uganda. “In Nicaragua, the invest- ment from Common Goal could not have come at a more important time,” Mary explains. “That year, the country experienced its worst political turmoil since the Revolution, leading to hundreds of deaths and thousands of people fleeing the country. Safe spaces for young peo- ple to come together are even more essential during times of instability.” Not only did the support through Common Goal enable Soccer Without Borders to keep running, while schools and businesses were closing around them, it also lead to the establishment of girls’ pro- grammes in three new communities. Soccer Without Borders has trans- formed from an all-volunteer project to a nearly two million dollar organisation with 63 staff members and seven year-round locations, serving over 2,800 young people in its core programmes and ben- efitting over 5,000 more through leagues, clinics, tournaments, and community events. “When I think about the youth we work with,” Ben reflects, “so many of them have re- cently crossed borders, left so much behind, but they bring their love of soccer with them. When our teams play a formal 11 v 11 match, we might have youth from 10 countries on the field, speaking 7 different first languages.” Aided by the game they all love, Ben continues, “they are all able to form one unit, and play together. There are few better examples of soccer’s ability to cross borders than this.” 76 77 FOOTBALL4GOODMAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2019