Soccer for Children With Disabilities Focused on Abilities
Here at Bownet Sports we love bringing you stories about organizations that utilize sports in order to further improve community involvement, youth education, race and gender equality and anything that improves overall opportunities and quality of life for young athletes.
Today we sat down with Stacy Alogdellis, Managing Director at the Soccajoeys Foundation.
The Soccajoeys Foundation assists children with additional needs as well as those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, through tailored all-inclusive soccer programs.
Take Sakura for example. A wonderful 5-year-old girl who has Diplegic Cerebral Palsy, which affects her legs, balance and ability to walk. Sakura’s mother tells Soccajoeys that Sakura thrived on her very first class. One of the secrets to Soccajoeys method in the “Next Step” program is to focus on Sakura’s abilities and NOT her disabilities. In the end, a girl like Sakura feels the same inclusion and joy that any kid without disabilities would feel at his or her AYSO or local youth league weekend game or practice.
The Foundation’s mission is to help build pathways for inclusion learning and social integration and is dedicated to providing children with life skills that will enhance their social and physical wellbeing. The Foundation’s programs are designed to support the early stages of childhood development whereby an optimum active environment for children to learn, explore and develop their many abilities is provided.
This wonderful foundation is actually a sub division of the Soccajoeys corporate office. Stacy tells us is that the foundation was made possible thanks to the Soccajoeys franchise business model. A Soccajoeys franchise is an amazing opportunity for someone who has a soccer background and a devoted love for the game and the progress of children’s soccer skills. Soccajoeys provides great head office and ongoing franchise support as well as proven operating systems.
Learn more about a Soccajoeys Franchise Here
We asked Stacy how Soccajoeys was enjoying the Bownet portable soccer goals and he told us, “..the Bownet goals have been a fantastic addition to our programs. Their portability, easy set-up and durability have added another dimension to the quality resources and products we offer to our families and children that attend our programs”
Learn more about Soccajoeys here and check out our full line of Bownet Goals here.
