Half Time Advice
"There are a lot of things that soccer does that transcend the soccer field."
- Brandi Chastain

From warm-up stretches to full-field scrimmages, Free Kick's soccer sessions provide a diverse range of activities led by passionate and talented individuals.

Our Goals

On the soccer field, traditional boundaries between individuals fade, making way for new means of interaction and education. With Free Kick's guidance, the soccer ball becomes an agent for learning important life skills. Our goal through this process is to form meaningful bonds of friendship between mentors and participants, giving the at-risk youth reliable role models and access to advice, guidance, and friendship in a fun, recreational atmosphere.

Our Mentors

We firmly believe that the strongest bond between two individuals arises out of a common passion: in this case, soccer. Our mentors are young, energetic college students who believe in the power of soccer in uniting people of diverse backgrounds. Most of our mentors are recreational players who played competitively in high scool, and we also involve current varsity athletes from various universities in the area. Our mentors are chosen through a careful vetting process, and all of them will undergo a week-long training course prior to our Spring 2011 pilot program to ensure that Free Kick's lessons are being applied congruently in all corners of the pitch. Additionally, Spanish-speaking mentors will be on hand to facilitate positive interaction with Hispanic participants.

The Process

Following our Math Tutoring sessions, participants will grab their gear and head out to the soccer field with our soccer mentors, who will replace the math tutors as persons responsible for our participants. On the field, we'll split up into our six divisions (Boys and Girls each of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade), where 2-4 mentors (depending on participation levels) will begin organizing activities in each division (see below).

Our Activities

In late 2010, our specific activities list will be created and posted on this website for your review. For now, tentative activites schedules appear as follows and will vary according to division and day: warm-up jogs and stretches (20 mins); drills (such as keep-away, passing circles, etc) and scrimmages (50 mins); cool-down jogs and stretching (20 mins). Our specific activities will be outlined in late 2010, with the close guidance of university coaches, physical fitness instructors, and others. Additionally, all Free Kick activities will closely align with the US Department of Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines. Each of our activities is carefully designed to promote certain life skills (such as communication, conflict resolution, etc).

Our Facilities

Free Kick soccer sessions will take place on the multi-purpose field located at 38th and S Streets, NW, Washington DC. This high-quality natural grass field, rented from the DC Public School system, is surrounded with bleachers and a full-size track. Click here to open a Google Maps window of the venue.

Beyond The Field

The Free Kick program doesn't end once our daily sessions conclude. Participants are encouraged to apply weekly math themes in their homes, at the grocery store, with their parents, and in their communities, recording these experiences in their Striker Journals. Participants who keep a Striker Journal are rewarded with school equipment, soccer gear, DC United gameday tickets, "first dibs" on equipment, and more*.

*Striker Journal rewards are contingent on funding and donation levels.