PROGRAM OVERVIEW

BACKGROUND

Soccer Steps is starting this fall by a community partnership with Shenandoah FC Elite and the Shenandoah University Soccer Program as a way to build unity in the city of Winchester through celebrating a common interest in soccer. The partnership of these organizations will be working together to run two four-week-long evening soccer clinics at the four different WPS elementary schools and the middle school.  Soccer Steps exists to promote athletic skill, leadership development, and citywide unity in neighborhoods throughout the city of Winchester.

STAFFING

Soccer Steps is spearheaded by Shenandoah FC Elite, a local soccer club, under the direction of Cosmo Balio, the club’s executive director alongside Elizabeth Pike, Shenandoah University's Women's Coaches, each school is run by a lead mentor, which is a Shenandoah University student-athlete.  The planning and execution of program details at each site are carried out by a volunteer mentor team supported by a small number of paid staff and interns.  At each school where Soccer Steps occurs, the leadership team adapts programming to create a welcoming, friendly environment that fosters diverse and meaningful relationships in that community.

MISSION

Soccer Steps exists to promote athletic skill, leadership development, and citywide unity in neighborhoods throughout the city of Winchester.

PROGRAM GOALS

ATHLETIC SKILL

Participants receive instruction in the fundamentals of soccer (passing, dribbling, controlling, shooting) from a volunteer mentor team. When crafting soccer curriculum, Soccer Steps staff members aim to introduce and reinforce the concepts of play, teamwork, and exercise in order to improve participants’ physical activity and encourage a healthy lifestyle.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Soccer Steps works to instill life skills and create opportunities for character-building and leadership development for its participants and volunteers by integrating principles of hard work, team building, service, goal-setting, and encouragement into its program through a comprehensive Values Curriculum, drafted annually around a particular theme.

CITYWIDE UNITY

Soccer Steps is designed to facilitate relationships and bring people from diverse backgrounds together. Soccer Steps adapts to each specific neighborhood location to create a welcoming, friendly environment that fosters diverse and meaningful relationships. 

Donate
If you would like to contribute to new or gently used soccer equipment or cash donations to Soccer Steps, contact Elizabeth Pike, [email protected].