A Message from our
Executive Director & Board Chair
A S N Y
What a year! While we had a lot of “firsts” - first program in the Bronx, first summer in Brooklyn, first poetry anthology, first high school tournament, first Winter SCORES Day - all of which are amazing in their own right - what I was most impressed by is the day-in day-out dedication from our coaches, parents and staff to support our poet-athletes in their social-emotional skill (SEL) development. The hardest work is consistently building SEL each day, hour, minute, at the America SCORES practices, workshops and games. Three years ago, we wanted to see if we could support with data what our coaches and parents already know - that building SEL through our unique model of soccer, poetry and service has a lasting impact in all areas of the students’ lives. I’m happy to report that after three years of partnering with the DOE and UpMetrics on this project, our poet-athletes are consistently outperforming their classmates on key metrics. We believe this is due to our unique curriculum, dedicated teacher-coaches, community & school-centered approach and attendance & behavioral policies. We’ve tripled in size over the past year as we try to address the vast demand for after school programs at under resourced public schools. But there is a lot of work left to do as we look at our waitlist of over 20 schools and 1,700 schools in NYC without adequate youth support. New York City records show that over 17,000 Black and Latinx students attend schools without any sports. With a program that serves 99% minority students, we strive to provide any and all students with access to and safe space for soccer, community, and teamwork. Our vision is a city in which all youth are able to access a team and have many choices with multiple team options! The experience of a team and growth through that can make all the difference for a child. With a whopping 90% of all female executives report playing sports growing up, it is clear that the leadaership, determination, and character building that develop during team sports are vital on the field and in life. America SCORES New York aims to be a leader in social justice youth development through sport and self-expression. We want to bring more awareness and attention to a sector that is too often overlooked and under-appreciated. NYC needs to invest more in its youth, and smart investments must include opportunities for personal growth through school-based and after-school activities. However, we are not going to wait for policy makers and private institutions to fully recognize the societal benefits of investing in the youth of ASNY...and so we encourage our poet-athletes to make change happen themselves. The America SCORES young people are using their talents and skills to become leaders in their communities with soccer and creative expression as their platform. We will continue to provide this platform and amplify their voices as they develop into NYC’s next generation of leaders. Soccer and poetry transcend class, race, geography and gender. Let’s use these tools for positive social change just as our poet-athletes do every day. In Community, Shannon & Adam Executive Director & Board Chair
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America SCORES New York Annual Report 2018
