NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In advance of the 2016 Street Soccer USA Cup Series, Street Soccer USA today announced partnerships with a number of well-known global brands committed to helping the organization promote sport for social good. With their sponsorship of the 2016 Street Soccer USA Cup Series, these organizations, which include Uniqlo, ESPN, Tag Heuer and Comcast, will help the social enterprise continue to build life-changing community based programs that reach the least-served neighborhoods across the United States and beyond.
“We’re honored to work with ESPN and Uniqlo once again, and to have Tag Heuer and Comcast join us this year, for the Street Soccer USA Cup Series,” said Lawrence Cann, President and Founder, Street Soccer USA. “Our program creates safe places to play, and our curriculum has been proven to enhance the personal capacity of our participants to achieve bigger goals in terms of education and employment. We are delighted to have like-minded corporations help us in our efforts to make a meaningful social impact through sport.”
The 2016 Street Soccer USA Cup Series, now in its fourth year in New York and third in San Francisco, will take place in the most iconic locations in three cities this year, with Philadelphia the latest host.
The tournament will kick off at The Art Museum in Philadelphia on May 27-29, followed by events in Times Square, New York and Union Square, San Francisco on July 9 and July 16-17, respectively. At each of these cities, teams ranging in age from six through to 30 will compete in exciting four versus four 15-minute matchups for the right to be crowned Street Soccer USA Cup Champions.
Comcast will be presenting sponsor for the Cup Series in Philadelphia, while Uniqlo and Tag Heuer will serve as sponsors across all three events.
As part of its support, Comcast also will sponsor a Street Soccer USA style community soccer pitch to be located in an underserved Philadelphia neighborhood.
Philadelphia Parks and Recreation are co-sponsors and have recruited the event to the city in order to bring a true community experience. As part of their sponsorship they have made the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art steps and Eakins Oval available for the Street Soccer USA Cup Series.
In addition to providing all of the uniform for participants at the events, Uniqlo will give registrants the opportunity to sign up their teams at various retail locations throughout the United States, as well as offer meet and greets with global soccer stars. A schedule of athlete appearances will be announced at a later date.
TAG Heuer will be the Official Timekeeper of the Street Soccer USA Cup Series, and will also administer the TAG Heuer Challenge for celebrities and fans at each event. The TAG Challenge reminds celebrities and professional soccer players “#DONTCRACKUNDERPRESSURE” while they try to score as many times inside a specially-designed goal in the space of a minute. If SSUSA supporters and participants are able to defeat the pros and celebrities, they can earn cash donations towards Street Soccer USA.
ESPN returns as national presenting partner for Street Soccer USA.
The Street Soccer USA Cup Series has treated millions of players and spectators to a competitive but fun weekend of play. The event underlines Street Soccer USA’s mission to extend the benefits of sports to all by building fields, providing coaching and training, as well as education and employment programs to underserved communities. Adopting this alternative to the pay-to-play model, Street Soccer USA has built ten soccer fields and worked with five thousand people, and in the next three years hopes to build 100 pitches, working with 50,000 directly and helping many more.
Players and teams interested in registering in the 2016 Street Soccer USA Series may do so by clicking on the registration link at streetsoccerusacup.org
For further information please visit www.streetsoccerusa.org.
About Street Soccer USA
Street Soccer USA is a social enterprise with revenue generating leagues and tournaments that leverage private donors and corporate responsibility donations to fund in-school, after school, community based club, and adult programs that improve the future of youth and young adults.
Street Soccer introduces and builds the grassroots capacity of soccer in urban areas with the goal of transferring life skills and creating a social safety net in the community for its participants. Its methodology of soccer instruction is informed by years of research and development in the field by others, and shaped by its leadership team’s own experiences and expertise.
Through its key pillars known as 8 Street Soccer Skills (Show Up, Play with Heart, Look Up, Take the Space, Build Your Triangle, Praise Great Play, Play the Plan, Adjust the Plan) – Street Soccer USA aims to provide a problem-solving framework that its participants can apply to every situation they face in everyday life.
