2017 Highlight

AMERICA SCORES Goes Abroad

In October 2016, America SCORES Boston Executive Director and Chair of the America SCORES Leadership Council John Maconga represented the SCORES network at the 2016 Beyond Sport Summit and Awards in London, where America SCORES was featured as a “Shortlister.”

One of 42 shortlisted projects from over 250 entries, we were nominated in the Sport for Health category for our innovative approach to improving youth health. Being shortlisted was a unique opportunity in and of itself, as shortlisted organizations have become a network of partners that span every corner of the

globe, all united by a mission to help people through sport.

Though we were a little biased in our preference for soccer as the “hook” for engaging youth in enrichment programs, the range of sports represented at the Summit covered the gamut. Just a quick look at the winning organizations shows initiatives that use different sports like basketball, soccer, and hockey to solve conflicts, teach literacy, and regenerate communities, among many other things.

Shortlisted organizations took advantage of the

Teamwork

3-day Summit to meet, discuss ideas, and find new ways to impact people around the world. Working from a theme of “Beyond Innovation,” sessions with leading social innovators showcased some of the world’s most cutting edge program models and linked the work of the “third sector” with innovation in the private sector.

The event highlighted the private sector’s efforts to adapt the latest technologies to improve people’s individual health and public health analysis. Such private sector efforts provide important insights into the future of the non-profit sector.

By the end of the Summit, you could see a transformation in how people were thinking about their role in effecting change. It’s not so much about soccer or about sports-based youth development. It’s about empowering youth to make positive change in their lives, in their communities, and around the world.

We are transforming youth in ways that change the direction of their lives and the nature of the world we live in. That collective impact, and the variety of approaches used to achieve it, goes well beyond any organization’s individual efforts.

It is, truly, beyond soccer, beyond sport, beyond ourselves.