Half Time Advice
"Soccer is simple, but it is difficult to play simple."
- Johan Cruyff

Please take a moment to review our extensive list of Frequently Asked Questions, where you'll find valuable information about the program.

What makes the Free Kick program so special?

It's no secret that there's an ever-increasing wealth of non-profit organizations dedicated to serving our community's youth. We firmly believe, however, that Free Kick stands alone in several aspects (more on these themes in our Principles page):

First, we are founded and managed by university students. Our mentors and tutors are currently, actively, and consistently engaged in the very activities they will be partaking in with our participants, whether it be taking advanced math courses at Georgetown University or playing soccer on a competitive or recreational team. Additionally, our youthful dispositions create a unique avenue through which to communicate to and relate with our participants to more effectively form a meaningful mentor-type relationship.

Second, we focus on middle-school mathematics education. Recognizing that other organizations tend to cater towards reading and literacy (which we believe is also crucial to our youth's education), Free Kick puts particular emphasis on quality math tutoring to adequately equip our participants for success as they enter an increasingly competetive global economy in the future.

Lastly, our programming is fully accessible to Spanish-speakers. Acknowledging the truly global appeal of soccer - particularly in Latin American countries - we at Free Kick want to ensure that we embrace as many diverse cultural dimensions as possible in our program. So, we offer tutoring in Spanish and employ Spanish-proficient soccer players/coaches to reach out to and positively affect as many at-risk youth as possible.

Individually, each of these characteristics can be found at various other organizations. However, we at Free Kick are proud to offer all these unique aspects and more together in one safe, fun, healthy, and positive environment.

How can I make a tax-deductible donation to Free Kick?

We thought you'd never ask! Free Kick would gladly accept tax-deductible donations to help our service bring the joy of soccer and learning to more young children. To learn more about donating, please visit our Donate page.

What is Free Kick's history?

Great question! Free Kick was founded in the summer of 2009 by a group of university students who wanted to make a real, tangible difference in their community, incorporating their passion of soccer. It was legally incorporated in June 2009 and received its non-profit status in August 2009. Our pilot program will begin in Spring 2011.

Who is behind Free Kick?

One of the unique aspects of Free Kick is the fact that the entire program is student -founded and -managed. Don't let that worry you - on the contrary, we view our youth as an advantage when it comes to more fully connecting with and mentoring DC's young students. Plus, our Board of Directors and Advisory Boards consist of several older individuals with countless years of non-profit experience to help guide Free Kick to success.

Will the program's focus always be on mathematics?

Simply put - no, we certainly plan on expanding our academic curricula in future years. After much thought and research, we realized that there is a clear lack of extra-curricular math assistance for middle-schoolers in DC, and for this and other reasons (see our Principles page), we chose to teach math during our pilot year.

Is Free Kick exclusively for Washington, DC, students?

For at least the next year of Free Kick programming, we intend to stay in the Washington, DC, area in order to focus our efforts on a specific group of kids and form meaningful relationships with them and their communities. Ideally, Free Kick would eventually have a presence in several urban areas throughout the U.S.

Is the Free Kick program really free?

YES! We live up to our name and provide all our services 100% free. Additionally, recognizing that some participants may not have adequate equipment to participate safely in our program, we are happy to provide free gear to those students who need it most.

Where can I sign my child up for Free Kick?

Registration for our Spring 2011 pilot program will begin in late 2010. When the sign-up period begins, you will be able to find the registration form and other important documents at our Documents page. Until then, please feel free to contact us with questions!

Is there a printable handbook for parents?

You bet there is! It is very important to us that our participants' parents know exactly how the program functions and what their children can get out from it. So, head over to our Documents page to download a parent's program packet!