Jewish Family Service of WMass Partners with Soccer without Borders at Springfield College
Springfield College has partnered with the Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts to host Soccer without Borders, a first-of-its-kind soccer clinic in Springfield.
Springfield College has partnered with the Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts to host Soccer without Borders, a first-of-its-kind soccer clinic in Springfield. The week-long clinic will be held on the campus from June 28 through July 2 for 50 refugee and immigrant Springfield public school students.
The soccer clinic provides a positive summer experience for refugee and immigrant students who attend Springfield Public Schools. For some students, this is the first in-person activity of the school year, and for other students new to the city or the United States, it is an opportunity to meet peers in person and find common ground.
"As one of the few global languages, soccer has the power to shape the world for the better," said Soccer without Borders Boston Program Director Bruno Contreras. "Soccer Without Borders (SWB) uses soccer as a vehicle for positive change, providing under-served youth in the U.S. and abroad with a toolkit to overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion, and personal success. SWB Boston has been serving the refugee and immigrant community in and around East Boston since 2012 with a culture of welcoming and belonging that supports newcomers to build a new home."
JFS and Springfield College are excited to have Soccer without Borders make its debut in Springfield. The clinic will bring together youth and coaches from diverse cultural backgrounds to create community, exercise, build leadership, and practice their English language skills. Over the course of the week, teens will have the opportunity to foster teamwork, connect and build friendships with other teens, and most of all to have fun.
