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From Compton to College. How One Child Changed His Life through Soccer

Growing up in Compton, CA, college was never a remote thought in Cheuy’s mind. In Compton, 1 in 3 kids drop out of high-school and the city (just 10 square miles) is ruled by an estimated 10,000 gang members. With a bleak outlook on his future and negative peer pressure all around him, it was Cheuy’s passion for soccer that led him to join the Compton United Soccer Club and start making a positive change in his life.

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Through his involvement with Compton United, Cheuy was selected to travel to Philadelphia and attend a National Leadership Camp hosted by the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s Urban Soccer Collaborative at Drexel University. There he learned coaching and refereeing principles, lived with players from over 20 other countries and learned more about college. “Those seven days were some of the best of my life,” he recalls.

Now, at 17, Cheuy is finishing up his senior year in high school and planning to attend Community College in Compton or Santa Monica to begin his secondary education in law enforcement and/or kinesiology. He is certain that he will coach soccer and give back to younger kids growing up in disadvantaged communities like he did.

As you kick-off the spring soccer season, please don’t forget about the millions of children like Cheuy who, with the help of programs supported by the U.S. Soccer Foundation, learn ways to fulfill their dreams both on and off the field.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation funds programs that help children in urban economically disadvantaged areas. We believe soccer is a powerful vehicle for social change and want to ensure that every child like Cheuy has a chance to play, to build self-confidence and to live a healthy and active life.

Please make a donation and help us kick this soccer season off right! 100% of every dollar contributed helps meet the needs of our grantees and the children they serve.

Sincerely,

Ed Foster-Simeon
President, U.S. Soccer Foundation

Donate by Mail
You can send your check directly to the U.S. Soccer Foundation:

U.S. Soccer Foundation
1211 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036