I have been working with America SCORES Bay Area the last few years and their impact in the community is tremendous. They provide an opportunity for young kids to live a healthier lifestyle through the game of soccer and their reach to so many schools in the Bay Area is very impactful. Bringing the opportunities of sport and poetry to communities is amazing. Their staff is top notch and their commitment to their communities is admirable. They stay true to the mission of their organization.
My daughter has been a “client” since Feb 2021. She was adrift with online school and limited socializing. (Bay Area) America Scores through their IFC and Selecta programs gave her more purpose in a sad time. Since then, caring, nurturing, and skilled coaches have created a community of girls (and boys) from different schools and backgrounds to bond, feel supported and … excel at soccer. She feels seen, heard, respected and valued.
We especially love Roberto, Amber, and Johnny R.
I serve on the board of American SCORES Bay Area and am continually impressed by its commitment to help children in the community succeed. Its multi-faceted approach (soccer, poetry, and community service) supports all "360 degrees" of the child. I've seen first-hand how its coaches inspire poet-athletes to come out of their shell, whether on a newly erected soccer field in the yard of a school, or on a historic Bay Area stage while reciting a poem. I'm grateful for the work being done, while humbled by the prospects of how many others the organization has yet to serve, and serve well!
America SCORES Bay Area is an exceptional non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing our future - our youth. Through their after-school program, they empower young individuals, imparting essential values of sports equity, encouraging self-expression, and actively pursuing facility improvements. Their dedication to providing opportunities that their poet-athletes and the community genuinely deserve is evident in initiatives like "Asphalt to Turf," which transforms public school spaces into accessible safe green play areas.
My journey with America SCORES Bay Area began as a coach for a group of ten-year-old girls in their program. Witnessing this initiative's profound impact on these young minds, I couldn't help but stay committed to their cause. I realized that I wanted to be part of spreading the word about ASBA. Today, I have the privilege of working alongside them in public relations, striving to raise awareness and promote their mission. Together, we are fostering a community where voices are heard, opportunities are created, and silence is replaced with action for our youth of today.
America SCORES provides much needed programs to students across the Bay. Well-run and with a clearly articulated mission, it truly changes the game not only for students it serves but for the schools they attend
SCORES Bay Area is a beautiful organization that offers children community, in their schoolyards and in their city parks, through the game of soccer and poetry. With amazing volunteers, dedicated coaches and staff, the children are kept safe, active and confident.
I joined SCORES Bay Area in 2008 with my school in San Francisco, ER Taylor Elementary. Coach Manny is the best there is. We learned soccer skills, teamwork, leadership, and the importance of participation and discipline.
Every Saturday, we would have game days at Crocker Amazon park. We wore our burgundy uniforms with pride. As I have grown into new communities, I look back and am thankful for SCORES. I see now, the amount of dedication our coaches and volunteers brought everyday was a gift.
Community is the most important aspect of a child's life. SCORES Bay Area offers that and more. Please support our SCORES Bay Area!
I've been helping America SCORES for the last few years, and I am beyond impressed with this amazing nonprofit. The people who work there are very passionate, they are working hard every day to achieve their vision, and they are motivated by the need to help these low-income youth, who do not have access to such services without America SCORES. If you care about the kids in our low income communities, and understand the tremendous value of organized sports, spoken word and mentorship on youth development, America SCORES is the perfect organization for you to volunteer or invest financial resources.
One of the most impactful nonprofits I’ve ever been a part of. The positive impact on the children served is remarkable. Seeing these kids build physical stamina, language skills and confidence as they play soccer, write poetry and perform their poetry is truly amazing to see. I’ve seen kids grow, develop and thrive from shy kids who had never played soccer and barely spoke English to kids who love the game and are able to proudly recite the poetry they’ve written. If only more kids could experience it!
I've been working with SCORES for almost 5 years now and continue to be so impressed by the team and impact of their programs. They've thoughtfully mapped out strategic growth and have really started to ramp up their scale the past couple of years through strategic partnerships throughout the Bay Area. In addition to their core after school programming, their Field of Dreams initiative is making important strides to create more equitable access to green play spaces for San Francisco youth. I am so incredibly grateful for SCORES and confident they will continue to significantly impact the lives of thousands of youth in our communities over the coming years.
I started as a sub-in soccer coach 22 years ago and right away I fell in love with the SCORES philosophy of combining poetry with soccer. I love to see the kids smiling as they get to write their own thoughts and ideas and put it together in a poem that they get to share with their peers, and when I see them on saturday's games I feel complete because I know that those kids are enjoying themselves in a positive,healthy,fun environment with the leadership of an organization that believes in them and has given them an option and an opportunity to this way of life. It's organizations like America SCORES that makes dreamers believers. As a coach I have firsthand seen what kids that are part of SCORES can accomplish having coached kids that are now playing for their college teams (UCLA) and (RIVERSIDE) as well as the Mexican Women's national team*Bridgette Marin and USA national women's futzal team ( Natza Marin) both SCORES alumni since 1st grade, we have built and developed National Poetry slam Champions who have represented their school in the National competition level with poems they written out of their own imagination and now have the confidence to achieve anything they dream of, This is what makes an organization a GREAT ORGANIZATION with dedicated caring and thoughtful people looking out for our kids .
I work with more than 40 nonprofits each year and America SCORES Bay Area is certainly a standout with the incredible work they are doing for our youth. In such a troubled world, SCORES brings so much light in not only teaching children how to use their own, unique voices but encouraging them to and teaching them that their voices matter - because they DO matter. Their poetry programs alongside their soccer programs teach children critical life skills in how to work well with a team, creative & critical thinking, living healthy lifestyles and so much more. Children are indeed our future and the youth that are part of SCORES' programs give me hope for our future. What they are doing is changing the future.
Our Title I public school reached out to America SCORES when we were looking for someone to help us install turf on our entirely blacktop playground. They were so responsive and stuck with us through a long process of navigating an unnecessarily convoluted school district process for procurement and approval of the project. When the turf could finally go in they worked so fast over a weekend with beautiful results! Everyone loves this new playground improvement and were just delighted to have partnered with America SCORES to make this happen.
America SCORES Bay Area does a wonderful job supporting youth development through soccer, poetry, and service learning. They create a safe space for underserved community members to find their voices and express their feelings both in writing and on the field. The staff members are very committed to their cause and care deeply about their students. I am proud to be part of this amazing organization.
As a public school teacher in Oakland for 30 yrs, I have been working with America SCORES as a soccer coach for close to 20 years (of and on). They have had a profound impact across the Bay Area, effecting schools in SF ,Oakland ,Richmond, and more. The soccer/poetry program has done wonders to boost kid's self-esteem, and gives them an additional outlet (apart from the classrooom) where scholars and athletes can shine. The weekly soccer games are quite spectacular, seeing hundreds of kids and families in their different colored uniforms all playing and cheering for their schools. The Poetry slams are also an amazing talent showcase for future writer's as kids express themselves through poetry. Keep up the mighty work!!!
I've been with this organization for 22 years and know firsthand the impact of SCORES programs. Without SCORES, children in low-income school communities cannot access high-quality sports or enrichment programs. They don't have caring coach-mentors who are trained in youth development principles. Without SCORES, there are no game days, no uniforms, no team. Poetry is left unwritten and unspoken. With the SCORES "magic mix" of program activities -- soccer, poetry, service learning -- students are inspired to live healthy and active lives, be engaged students, and build the confidence they need to impact their communities positively. In addition to after-school programs for thousands of low-income public school youth, SCORES creates safe places to play through its asphalt-to-turf initiative. These fields of dreams transform unsafe, grey playgrounds into vibrant, green sports fields. More info in the videos below.
As an early board member of America SCORES Bay Area, I am very proud of what we created and what they have accomplished since the start. The ingenious combination of soccer and teamwork, literacy and writing, and community service inspires young people in so many ways. I have seen first hand the impact SCORES has on youth, especially those in underserved communities. I enthusiastically continue to support the organization financially and encourage others to do the same. Kudos to the Executive Director, Colin Schmidt and the entire team.
America SCORES Bay Area is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing low-income youth in the California Bay Area with soccer, creative writing, and service learning programs that promote physical activity, teamwork, creativity, and self-expression. Through its innovative approach, the organization helps youth to develop essential life skills that enable them to succeed both on and off the field.
I am so proud and thankful to have been a Writing Coach for SCORES in the early/mid-2000s when I lived in the Bay Area. Leading poetry writing workshops and service-learning projects for the brilliant children of Bayview-Hunter's Point and Viz Valley inspired me to dedicate my life to teaching writing. (I now teach at UCLA.) The growth of America SCORES Bay Area over the years is incredibly impressive and they are endlessly worthy of your support.
I've been working with Scores for more than five years and the organization is absolutely fantastic. The after school program makes a real impact on kids lives and the Field of Dreams initiative transforms recreation at school.
This organization goes above and beyond to provide inner-city children an opportunity to play soccer as well as master their poetry skills. Not only, are the coaches extremely talented but they deeply care for the children they work with. On Fridays, various games are held for the kids to play soccer matches with other schools. These games bring our community together and allow children to interact with other children that come from different neighborhoods.
I have been a Board Member of America Scores for 15 years!
I am as excited and committed to the organization as I have ever been. It is an exceptional program with talented leadership that cares deeply about instilling hope in children.
It is a very unique model that focuses on the whole child- physical, emotional, and spiritual.
The innovative curriculum of soccer, poetry, and community service builds great self esteem in kids.
America Scores is an extremely efficient organization that has deep impact on children.
Go SCORES!!!
I learned about America SCORES from a friend, who could not stop raving about them. Went to see their program in action and was blown away. Over time, I have been to some more of their activities and events, and have done my own research. What has impressed me -- that they do "more with less" in ways nonprofits should, that they have solid research about how they make kids healthier and improve literacy, and how teachers, parents, and principals rave about them.
I've been a huge fan of America Scores Bay Area since its inception more than 15 years ago. I started as a volunteer coach and, soon after, joined the board. I remain as passionate about the organization today as I did way back when. A unique "whole child" program with real impact – improved health (e.g. lower BMI scores), improved academics (e.g. higher English Language Literacy scores), and improved engagement across the board (e.g. higher graduation rates). I'm very proud to be a part of this organization. I'm looking forward to the next phase of growth and impact! (p.s. ASBA currently serves some 1500 kids per year in over 50 locations around the Bay Area, and it's just launched a campaign to double its reach over the next several years. Please join us!)
America SCORES Bay Area is an incredible organization. Their deep partnerships with public schools enable the youth programs to reach students who often would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in high quality sports-based youth development programs. Also, the staff are extremely passionate about their work.
Amazing organization that is the only after-school addressing the "whole child" ranging from fitness to literacy to community service. They are making a huge impact on the lives of 1000+ kids each year. ASBA's team is exceptional and has big ambitions for expansion in the coming years. So excited to see the organization grow!
From poet/athlete to Offensive/Defensive Lineman for St. Ignatius College Preparatory School. America Scores is not only a nonprofit organization but a community family. My son Selascie Smith joined the after school program at J. Serra Elementary School and it was the beginning a long and successful partnership. He went on to be a 4.0 student in middle school and 3.5 student in high school. He learned leadership skills, teamwork, public speaking and community service learning. America Scores is an amazing organization that taps otherwise unnoticed talents in children. #AmricaScoresROCKS!!!
Amazing organization. They provide a much needed program that helps kids in 3 very important aspects to their growth and learning process. They get them physically active through playing soccer. They enhance their sense of creativity, and self expression through poetry, and on top of that, SCORES help kids develop a great amount of sympathy, and responsibility by teaching the students how to contribute positively to their community.
America SCORES is an amazing nonprofit that teaches students leadership, literacy, and healthy living via an integrated curriculum of soccer and poetry. The organization brilliantly combines and leverages students' love for soccer and athletics with the chance to perform and deepen their abilities to express themselves, inspire, and grow. While addressing specifically some of the key deficits in today's education: literacy, health, and fitness, SCORES focuses on the whole child and provides an experience that allows students to grow and develop into well-rounded human beings.