Street Soccer Portland is part of a national organization that aims to expand access to playing soccer by providing a free alternative to the pay-to-play model of club soccer. The local chapter primarily serves elementary and middle school-aged children through afterschool programs currently being offered at 20 schools and community centers in Portland, Tigard, Gresham and Vancouver. Partnerships and donations from companies like Adidas and Nike help provide free uniforms and equipment to participants, most of whom are low-income and would otherwise not be able to afford the hundreds of dollars a youth club soccer team would likely charge to join. 

Since joining Street Soccer Portland two years ago, Program Director Julian Alexander has expanded participation in the organization by more than 140%, from roughly 1,000 to nearly 2,400 participants last year. Program Coordinator Saul Meneses Zurita is now helping coach the next generation of players after first playing in one of Street Soccer Portland’s afterschool programs 11 years ago. Alexander and Zurita join us to share the impact Street Soccer Portland is having on and off the field. They’ll also share details about the annual spring tournament that hundreds of fourth and fifth graders will compete in next Friday at Davis Elementary School in Gresham.