Soccer in the Streets’ demographic consists of underserved and lower-income neighborhoods that tend to feel mental health challenges - and barriers to treatment - more intensely. Today, Black children under the age of 13 are twice as likely to die by suicide as their white peers, and the rate of death by suicide among Black youth has increased faster than any other racial or ethnic group.
This is an incredibly alarming stat as our organization works with over 80% Black and African-American youth, and it underscores the importance of raising mental health awareness now
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, inner-city and under-resourced communities we work with have less access to mental health services than others, are less likely to receive needed care, and are more likely to receive poor quality care when treated.
During such imperative times of mental wellness, we are committed to leveraging our resources and the game of soccer to create safe spaces for players to build meaningful relationships in their communities. Sport is a powerful tool for change. Using soccer as a medium, trained coaches teach skills and life lessons, such as personal responsibility, self-confidence, and self-management.
“ “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.””
Our organization values the importance of the kids' overall development, and with each new season, our team has a fresh opportunity to create and sustain positive relationships that improve one’s soccer ability, support social and emotional learning, and collaboratively build stronger communities throughout Atlanta. But we can’t do it alone; it takes community members like Junia Baker stepping up to offer help to fellow Atlantans however they can.
Junia is a Licensed Professional Counselor who runs her own business right here in Atlanta. She is also a huge supporter of Soccer in the Streets. Recognizing the challenges our kids and families - and even staff - can face with barriers to things like mental health counseling & therapy sessions, Junia reached out to see how she could help. We’re thrilled to be working closely with her to develop a plan that will help reduce barriers to treatment for our kids, families, and Soccer in the Streets staff members.
"Conversation Circles" help cultivate a culture of empathy and courage for our players and our parents.
As schools approach the summer break, many children will be without a constant learning environment and curriculum to keep them engaged.
To help offset these challenges, we’re raising funds to provide 300 children with a fun activity kit to get them through the summer. These kits will include mental wellness resources such as art activities, mindfulness journals, and children's books.
When our school-based programs resume, our team will use multiple strategies such as conversation circles, check-in meetings, and an SEL curriculum to help cultivate a culture of empathy and courage for our players and our parents.
We will continue to innovate and improve our programming as we utilize evaluation tools such as HelloInsight surveys provided by Laureus Sport for Good.
Players surveyed last spring confirmed that authentic relationships and engaging authentically with adults were essential to their overall development.
As we navigate through this need in youth development, we are bringing light to Mental Health Awareness Month. This is especially important to our organization as we help kids live a healthy lifestyle on and off the field. The time spent with the kids at practice means more than just playing soccer – it means building quality relationships with coaches, teammates, and family members.
“The Soccer in the Streets program is phenomenal. It gives young athletes an opportunity to be a part of a team.
I enjoy being able to be a mentor for our boy’s team. It’s not only about soccer; it’s about the off-the-field life lessons, too. It’s about learning and giving 100 percent effort.
This program is top-notch. I am thankful for being able to lend my support.”
– Coach Cunnigham