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Every Kid Deserves a Chance to Play – The Salvation Army in Canada
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Every Kid Deserves a Chance to Play
Posted on June 3, 2013 in Feature, Mobile | Tags: partnerships,
sports, youth | No Comments
It’s unlike any other soccer program. FFA (Football for All)
Global is giving Toronto’s low-income kids the boost they
need to succeed.
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Stress Affects Kids Having
read this I thought it was
very enlightening. I…
Growing up, Mark, 18, set his sights on playing professional
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Every Kid Deserves a Chance to Play – The Salvation Army in Canada
soccer. Living in one of Toronto’s poorest and roughest
neighborhoods he thought the sport would help keep him
stay focused long enough to rebuild his life.
But eventually, showing up on the field with a pair of shoes
wasn’t good enough. Participation fees came into effect and
Mark’s mom, a single parent on a fixed income, simply
couldn’t afford them. Mark walked away.
In the same neighbourhood, Asenai, 17, dreamt of playing
professional sports to get away from the frequent sounds of
gun shots, sirens, and negative influences. He liked the idea
of a fresh start. But high fees also drove him to the sidelines
with no way to connect to such a life.
“The reality is that if you don’t pay, you don’t play,” says FFA
founder Adrian Johansson. “That means very talented, but
less fortunate kids, are left behind.”
FFA Benefits At-Risk Youth
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read one of the comments
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Salvation Army Canada’s
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FFA identifies kids from tough backgrounds who need a
Army Street Ministry Serves
up Soup and Friendship
helping hand in life and have a love for soccer. For kids
whose families don’t have the funds to support their dreams,
Nancy Mercier and all of the
other staff…
FFA not only gives them the opportunity to one day play
professionally, it helps them become better people socially,
spiritually and academically.
Anonymous on Charitable
While defending, trapping, and dribbling are important skills
bedroom set, sturdy but with
some…
to perfect in getting a professional tryout, FFA pushes these
kids to an even higher standard.
“Accountability and clear expectations are teaching
participants important and valuable lessons like respect,
discipline and leadership,” says Johansson. “We don’t want
them to just be good players, but to be good human beings.”
A non-profit organization, FFA relies heavily on partnerships
like The Salvation Army. For example, The Salvation Army in
Toronto provides space for its life-skills classes, and funding
from The Salvation Army in Sweden helps with training,
flights abroad if participants earn a tryout, and housing to
get them used to their new community.
Hopeful and Energized
“FFA not only gave me the same opportunities as middlewww.salvationarmy.ca/2013/06/03/every-kid-deserves-a-chance-to-play/
Giving: Clothing, furniture
donations down I have a
Financial Stress Affects Kids
Report Finds 66 Percent of
Salvation Army Youth
Programs Saw Increased
Need since 2008
Salvation Army Responds in
Moore and South Oklahoma
City
Are we doing enough about
youth poverty? Street
Survey
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Every Kid Deserves a Chance to Play – The Salvation Army in Canada
class kids, but it helped me keep my head up during the
difficult times,” says Mark, who, this summer will make the
jump to Sweden to play pro on a youth contract.
Mark and Asenai are hungry to succeed both on and off the
field, and feel fortunate to have met genuinely good-hearted
people who recognized their talents, invested in them and
inspired them to thrive in life.
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Every Kid Deserves a
Chance to Play
Doughnut Day Reminds
People to Give Back
Are we doing enough about
youth poverty? Street
Survey
Salvation Army Partners with
MOLLY MAID for Christmas
in July National Food Drive
TELUS Day of Giving
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