High School Students Team Up With LA Galaxy For Soccer Without Borders Fundraising Clinic

June 18, 2012 - PRLog -- LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TEAM UP WITH LA GALAXY FOR  THE SECOND ANNUAL "GIRLS IN THE GAME" SOCCER WITHOUT BORDERS FUNDRAISING CLINIC AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER IN CARSON ON SATURDAY, JUNE 23

Two-Hour Soccer Skills Clinic; Coached by Women's Professional Players, Female College Coaches & College Athletes; Hosted By Former U.S. Men's Olympic and World Cup Player, John O'Brien

Los Angeles, CA (June 18, 2012) - For the second straight year, local Soccer Without Borders Los Angeles ambassadors have teamed up with the LA Galaxy to promote their "Girls in the Game" soccer clinic, aimed toward local female youth players. This year, the clinic will take place on Saturday, June 23 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the Home Depot Center in Carson. The Soccer Without Borders L.A. ambassadors are Julia Blanco and Sarah Mendenhall from Polytechnic School in Pasadena.

The "Girls in the Game" clinic is open to young girls in the greater Los Angeles and Orange County area between ages 8-16 with the goal of teaching soccer skills, improving health and wellness, and building self-esteem. Designed in partnership with the LA Galaxy, the girls will be able to interact with positive role models while getting the "professional soccer" experience of playing at the Home Depot Center. Former U.S. Men's Olympic and World Cup Player John O'Brien is returning to help coach throughout the afternoon. After their two-hour training session, participants will join O'Brien and the coaches for a "chalk talk" at the picnic area. Later, they will be escorted down to the field for the pre-game Parade of Champions. The cost of the clinic is $50 per player and includes a ticket to the LA Galaxy home game the same night against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Additional tickets are available to purchase for $25.All proceeds from this event benefit Soccer Without Borders.

SWB's mission is to use soccer as a vehicle for positive change in the lives of marginalized youth who are systematically excluded from sports and extracurricular activities. The SWB program helps provide under-served youth an opportunity to build social skills and self-confidence, coupled with an avenue for positive engagement, and a platform for personal growth.

Soccer Without Borders' Los Angeles program started as a club at the Polytechnic School. Working with a core group of coaches and student volunteers, Blanco and Mendenhall organized a free community soccer clinic in March 2010 with special guest Alexi Lalas, former LA Galaxy and U.S. Men's National World Cup team player. Lalas played alongside the children, demonstrating soccer skills to 250 boys and girls while delivering the message that success, both on and off the field, can be achieved through dedication, hard work, and perseverance. In addition to this program, Blanco and Mendenhall also conducted an equipment drive which sent boxes of donated uniforms, cleats, shin guards and coaching supplies to community groups and international sports-based programs.

Last summer, Blanco participated in SWB's first "Sports-based Youth Development Seminar and Cultural Exchange" program in Granada, Nicaragua. SWB's Granada program harnesses the power of sports to build confidence and provide a platform for educating young girls who are often underserved and socially excluded. Many girls in the region drop out of school at an early age because they are forced to work or become pregnant. SWB's program delivers promise and opportunity for this neglected group. Blanco said coaching and playing with these girls was a life-changing experience. She is heading back to Granada in mid-July.

Over the past year, SWB's footprint in Los Angeles also has been expanding. Late August, John O'Brien spearheaded SWB's first refugee and immigrant youth soccer camp in Glendale, and a second program in Anaheim last December. Working with about 105 children who were recent immigrants, SWB's group of coaches and volunteers bridged the language gap and helped ease the transition into their new lives.

LOCATION:           Home Depot Center, field #5
                                18400 S. Avalon Blvd.
                                Carson, CA 90746

GENERAL CLINIC INFORMATION:
http://www.soccerwithoutborders.org/ggclinic

SPONSORS: Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Avant Advisory Group, Inspiration Charitable Trust at the San Diego Foundation, Polytechnic School, and the Crescenta Valley Soccer Club.

TO REGISTER for the clinic, please go to:  
http://www.soccerwithoutborders.org/ggregistration