Groupon + ASD = Healthy Snack Campaign

The “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds” campaign will be available on Groupon Dallas’ G-Team page beginning on Tuesday, August 23rd and running through Thursday, August 25th. Utilizing G-Team’s collective action model, Groupon followers can pledge support for the Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds initiative in increments of $10, with each $10 providing healthy snacks for one poet-athlete (ASD student) for an entire semester.

America SCORES Dallas will distribute the healthy snacks to the participating DISD schools during the organization’s after-school soccer and poetry program. Approximately 100% of the participating students are from households that are at or below the poverty level and do not have access to low cost healthful food, making these healthy snacks a vital part of both a student’s engagement in their after-school activities and their overall nutrition during each day.

“It is exciting and a privilege that Groupon has chosen America SCORES Dallas to be the first G-Team campaign in the Dallas market. This opportunity will allow us to raise more awareness about the work we do,” says Robert Hernandez, Executive Director, “By providing our students with a healthy snack every day, Dallas residents can help our poet-athletes get the nutrition they need to fully engage in their afterschool enrichment activities.”

The G-Team partnership is part of ASD grassroots approach to raising awareness of the importance of proper nutrition and nutrition education for our youth to combat childhood obesity, especially in high-risk populations. The schools that participate in ASD’s program are in the most under-served neighborhoods in urban Dallas and lack access to health education and fresh healthy food. America SCORES Dallas serves approximately 288 students in 9 DISD schools.

8th Annual Soccer Ball is Coming!

America SCORES Dallas' 8th Annual Soccer Ball Auction and Gala, Kick It Up a Notch!, is our largest fund and friend raiser of the year.  Historically the Soccer Ball brings together over 200 guests, all philanthropic leaders in Dallas, each year and has raised over $1 Million dollars over the last 7 years.

For our 8th Annual Soccer Ball on October 21, we are really "Kicking it up a Notch!"  Scott Romano of Charlie Palmer will provide a culinary adventure throughout the evening, exciting live and silent auction items will incite heated bidding wars, and a poetry performance from our poet-athletes will inspire.

Help us "Kick it up a Notch" this year!  Learn more and get involved by visiting our website. You can donate auction items, suggest businesses as donors, and purchase your ticket or table!

Girls in the Game

On Sunday, the USA v Brazil World Cup game proved to be as entertaining as Transformers 3 on a hot summer day. In 3-D. Although there were no space robots or Michael Bay explosions, the game featured a goal within the first two minutes of play, a harsh referee, a devastating red card, an overtime goal by Brazil’s five-time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, a last minute (in extra extra overtime) equalizer by the US, and a penalty save during the game deciding shoot out.  

And yet, this game earned a 2.6 overnight rating for ESPN compared to last year’s World Cup USA vs Ghana game’s 9.9 rating. The difference? Last year was the men’s World Cup and this year is the women’s World Cup.

Why the disparity? The answer may be found in the history of soccer. The first Women’s World Cup was held in 1999, 61 years after the first Men’s World Cup. From an historical perspective, women’s soccer has had less time to gain popularity and professional development. However, the history of women’s soccer parallels the world’s reception and attitude toward women playing soccer. Here is a great (albeit old) article about women’s soccer vs. men’s soccer. Mostly the differences cited are those of resources, support, and youth coaching. The lack of interest for women’s sports produces a lack of funding and thus less opportunity to develop the profession. This vicious cycle has led to a complicated state of affairs for women’s soccer. Yet, it can be as simple as - getting girls in the game.

Getting girls in the game is as valuable for promoting the future of women’s soccer as it is for the girls who play the game. According to Team-Up for Youth, “Sports and physical activity can give girls positive body image, improved self esteem, tangible experiences of competency and success and increased self confidence.” Through soccer, girls gain a breadth of experiences and life skills that they would otherwise not always have the opportunity to acquire. The good news for women’s soccer? More potential players, supporters, and fans. With new generations, there is hope that women’s soccer will finally get the attention that they deserve.

See how we are helping get girls in the game: visit us at www.americascoresdallas.org

Watch the USA’s semifinal game against France on ESPN3 on Wednesday, July 13th at 10:30 AM.

Brek Shea Shoots, Paints, and SCORES

Major League Soccer, Abstract Art, and Philanthropy? A winning combination for our own FC Dallas Forward/Mid-Fielder, Brek Shea. The 6'4" 21-year old is not only a crowd-pleasing, lightening fast, goal-scorer, he is a veritable artist with a collection of bold abstract paintings and a heart of gold.


This Sunday, Brek is hosting an Art Show and Auction of his paintings at NYLO Plano at Legacy and proceeds will benefit the FC Dallas Foundation and America SCORES Dallas. You are invited to come view Brek's work, bid on your favorite pieces, and feel good that your contribution will help give inner-city Dallas kids a chance to play soccer.


RSVP by Wednesday, June 22nd to foundation@fcdallas.net

2010-11 Program Year Summary

It is hard to believe that our 2010 -2011 program year has come to an end.  It has been an amazing year!  I wanted to share this program year summary with you and demonstrate why we had one of the most successful program years since America SCORES Dallas was launched 2004.     

- We served over 250 students in nine schools in Dallas and Ft. Worth  

- We served over 500 students in over 20 schools in soccer clinics.    

- Two of our students were selected at our fall Poetry SLAM! to perform at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem.   

- We hosted two Open Mic Nights at the Lakewood Starbucks with over 100 students, parents, teachers and supporters in attendance.   

- FC Dallas players, Eric Avila, Brek Shea, and Kevin Hartman led a soccer clinic at Stevens Park Elementary.    

 - Each team developed a neighborhood-specific service project this spring, which ranged from recycling to health and wellness education.    

- Our students recited their year-end poems and presented their community service projects at the Wyly Theater.    

 

- Our students played their end of the year soccer tournament at the Cowboys Stadium with almost 1,000 in attendance. 

None of this would have been possible without supporters like you.  

  

Looking into the future, we have a number of exciting things developing - such as our growing collaborations with The Art Institute of Dallas, Big Thought/Thriving Minds, and Whole Foods.  As always we will continue to strive to serve more schools and offer the best program we can.  We appreciate your time, effort and contributions.  Ultimately, all the hard work is about the children and enriching their lives.  They represent not only our future, but the future of our community.  It is up to us to invest in our children and make a meaningful impact.

Thank you for making this a wonderful year and being a part of the solution.  We look forward to another year of growth

Yours in service,

Robert Hernandez
Executive Director 

 America SCORES Dallas  

rhernandez@americascores.org
214.760.8133 (o)

214.760.8166 (f)

Get Your Dad a Gift at SAKS

Still need to get Dad a gift that says, "Hey Dad, thanks for being my Dad"?  Head to Saks Fifth Avenue this weekend to get that special gift!  Your Dad might also appreciate that 10% of the purchase will go toward helping inner-city youth play soccer, write poetry, help their neighborhoods, and stay off the streets.

Jamboree at Cowboys Stadium

Our end-of-the-year-soccer-extravaganza-tournament was held this year at, yes folks, the Cowboys Stadium.  Over 250 Poet-Athletes from Dallas and Fort Worth played soccer for four hours on the very turf that is home to Dallas' Cowboys in front of an audience of nearly 750 parents, siblings, and friends.  

For many of our poet-athletes, this was the first time they had really left their urban neighborhoods in Dallas, much less stepped inside the new billion dollar Cowboys Stadium. This was truly a night to remember!  

Thank you to all our volunteer Referees and our fabulous Starbucks volunteers!