DC SCORES holds the biggest alumni soccer tournament yet

Written by Jake Lloyd
Communications Manager

(Full tournament photo album.)

This year, the weather cooperated.

Not that some rain would have kept the kids away.

Tuesday marked the 6th Annual DC SCORES Alumni Tournament held at Tubman Elementary School, and the event for former program participants now in high school was its largest ever.

More than 150 kids making up 17 teams spent a chunk of their spring break playing countless soccer games, reuniting with friends, and laughing and smiling under sunny skies while a wind ripped across the green turf surface on which three games took place simultaneously -- one round after another.

The tournament was sponsored by District Sports, a longtime partner and the largest provider of adult rec soccer leagues in DC. The Truth Initiative also provided support.

Before the event began, all the kids came together for a pep talk followed by a group photo. It was amazing to see the 17 different teams, all wearing custom-color T-shirts, make up a rainbow in the photo.

And then it was game time! More than any DC SCORES event, the tournament showcases the progress kids who hadn't touched a soccer ball before joining the program make over three, five, seven years. The skill level is very high, and the competitiveness only increased as the games got more meaningful.

In the end, F.C. All-Stars came away with the championship for a second straight year after scoring a golden goal vs. F.C. Lions. The All-Stars were handed autographed D.C. United balls, a generous donation from our partner.

But when all was said and done, more than 150 kids had a great time playing, storytelling, laughing,
reuniting, reminiscing and much more. The tournament was the best it's ever been, and it'll only continue to grow as more DC SCORES poet-athletes become alumni.

Thanks again to District Sports and the Truth Initiative for making the Alumni Tournament possible!

6th Annual Alumni Tournament sponsored by District Sports, supported by Truth Initiative

This year, the forecast is clear.

Not that the weather at DC SCORES' annual Alumni Tournament dictates the turnout. After two years of rainstorms that didn't keep over 100 high school students from showing up at Tubman Elementary School, Tuesday's forecast is for 60 and sunny.

The tournament, sponsored by District Sports and with support from the Truth Initiative, is the biggest alumni event of the year -- reuniting former poet-athletes on the turf field at Tubman for four hours of soccer games, catching up with old friends and teammates, and much more.

Thanks to the tournament sponsors, each participant receives a customized T-shirt and kids form teams usually based on their former DC SCORES affiliations. For example, there's often a Lincoln Middle School team (or two), a Raymond Education Campus team, and other school-based squads representing all parts of DC.

The most incredible aspect of the tournament is just how good the players are. No other event showcases how much kids improve by going through the DC SCORES pipeline. You'll see kids on the field who in third or fourth grade didn't know the rules of the game who are now star high school athletes and on the cusp of playing at the collegiate level.

But that's not the best part of the day, which belongs to the ubiquitous sense of community. It's amazing to see how many kids dedicate a large chunk of a spring break day to DC SCORES -- many of them showing up well before the tournament kicks off at 11am.

We owe a huge thanks to District Sports for sponsoring the alumni tournament and to the Truth Initiative for its support of our older-youth program.

We hope to see you on the pitch tomorrow!

6TH ANNUAL ALUMNI TOURNAMENT

• What: 6v6 soccer round-robin soccer tournament, with top teams advancing to playoffs
• When: Tuesday, March 29, 11am-3pm
• Where: Tubman Elementary School (map)
• Online registration: HERE

-------------

PAST YEARS

2015: Photos

2014: Photos, blog

2013: Photos

2012: Photos, blog

25 teams play for DC SCORES during 4th Annual District Sports Columbia Heights Cup

The day seemed to get colder with each passing hour -- the wind picking up and even blowing a tent over -- but the frigid air couldn't keep the action on the field from heating up.

For eight hours Saturday, more than 300 DC professionals making up 25 teams played soccer at three sites in Washington, DC, during the fourth annual District Sports Columbia Heights Cup.

The tournament, organized and run by our longtime partner District Sports, raised almost $9,000 for DC SCORES -- with all proceeds directly benefiting the 1,500 low-income youth our program serves.

"The 2013 Columbia Heights Cup was the most successful with more teams and more money raised than ever before," District Sports Executive Director Alex Bearman said. "We are grateful here at District Sports that we have such a dedicated group of participants who not only love playing soccer but value the importance of supporting organizations like DC SCORES."

Competitive division champion "Bottoms Up."

The tournament was split into two divisions -- competitive and casual.

After six hard-fought games -- including an extra-time victory in the semifinals -- team "Bottoms Up" won the competitive division championship game at Cardozo Education Campus over "H.A.M. For The Holidays," which had begun the day playing at Tubman Elementary School.

The 10-team casual division tournament was held at Bell Multicultural High School, where "Saisgasm" emerged victorious by beating "Georgetown" in the final.

Regardless of results on the field, everyone headed to the tournament's official sponsor spot Lou's City's Bar after their games to redeem free drink tickets, enjoy specials, and watch the MLS Cup together. D.C. United also had a table set up at the bar with giveaways and raffles.

Casual division champion "Saisgasm."

The field locations and Lou's as the sponsor bar were all appropriate, considering DC SCORES' presence in Columbia Heights. More than 10 of our schools are located within a mile of where Saturday's events took place, and a few young poet-athletes even braved the cold at Cardozo to watch some of the soccer and kick around a ball in between games.

Big thanks to District Sports for putting together such a successful tournament and their continued support of DC SCORES!

Tournament photos.

District Sports wins 11th Annual DC SCORES Cup

About 9 hours after the first ball was kicked, District Sports put an exclamation point on the 11th Annual DC SCORES Cup.

Trailing four-time SCORES Cup champion Marriott by a goal with just minutes to play — having squandered a two-goal lead — the fourth-year participant scored twice in the span of 60 seconds to claim a thrilling championship game victory, 4-3.

The game capped off the largest, most successful SCORES Cup to date — featuring a tournament-record 30 teams and more than 80 games. The weather was perfect at the Maryland SoccerPlex, and many long-time participants called the Cup their best ever regardless of the outcomes on the field.

The event raised more than $100,000 that will directly benefit over 1,450 low-income youth in the District at 42 schools who participate in DC SCORES' year-long Arts/Athletics/Academics program. 

Not only was each company or firm guaranteed five games on the pristine turf fields at the SoccerPlex — there were many other fun aspects of the day:

After the first few games, everyone gathered on the field closest to the DJ for a DC SCORES presentation during which new board member Barton Bishop of Sport and Spine Rehab; SCORES Cup Committee member Jeff Schwartz of Alston & Bird LLP; and Executive Director Amy Nakamoto introduced the cause to participants maybe unfamiliar with DC SCORES and informed the 500 or so professionals how they can get involved volunteering, offering their professional expertise, or in another capacity. 

Then Nakamoto handed the microphone to AmeriCorps staff member and coach Shakeria Reed, who told the poignant story of a program participant, Terrence, who was able to overcome a very difficult life situation because of the opportunity to be on a DC SCORES team. Later in the day, participants mentioned that they would have loved to meet Terrence. 

Dozens of participants felt the impact of DC SCORES through Reed's story and expressed interest in volunteering or seeing programming in person. 

After Reed's speech, tournament members were surprised to be introduced to U.S. soccer's Oguchi Onyewu, who spoke briefly about an exciting new partnership between his nonprofit G.O. Global and DC SCORES and then hung around for over an hour signing autographs and posing for photos.

Of course, there were also giveaways from Modell's Sporting Goods and an awesome lunch and drinks served by tournament participant Occasions Caterers. And with so many games taking place, Sport and Spine Rehab employees — who also entered a team — were always on the ready to deal with the inevitable minor injuries, twisted ankles and more, and even give massages when requested. 

The long day in the sun wouldn't have been possible without a large donation of tables and chairs from Perfect Settings — which allowed DC SCORES to set up a large tented seating area — and 40 jugs of water from DrinkMore Water. 

Thanks to generous donors and 30 teams of professionals young and old — playing in their first Cup or their 10th — the 11th version of the tournament was widely heralded as the best yet. 

We want to thank all the teams, and especially the captains who led the effort to raise close to $15,000 during the Razoo fundraising competition prior to tournament day. You made such an action-packed day of soccer possible.

ALJAZEERA; Alston & Bird LLP; Arnold & Porter LLP; Bingham McCutchen LLP; Blackboard Inc.; Booz Allen Hamilton; CenturyLink; Clark Construction; Clinical Care Options; Covington & Burling LLP; Cresa Washington DC; DC Stoddert Soccer; District Sports; Hogan Lovells US LLP; Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Latham & Watkins LLP; Marriott; Merrill Lynch; Nathan Associates, Inc.; Occasions Catering; PricewaterhouseCoopers (2); Sport and Spine Rehab; Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP; The Advisory Board Company; Venable LLP; Volkswagen Group of America; Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP; Williams & Connolly LLP; Zuckerman Spaeder LLP. 

We'll see you in 2014!

Tournament photos coming on Flickr and Facebook.

Visit the tournament webpage for the final bracket and more!

DC SCORES and District Sports celebrate new two-year partnership

For Immediate Release

District Sports announces $30,000 

partnership with DC SCORES

Washington, DC, recreational soccer organization to present check to District’s largest

after-school program provider at Tubman Elementary School ‘Game Day’ May 2

Washington, DC – April 29, 2013 – DC SCORES, which provides award-winning after-school programs for low-income youth in Washington, is proud to announce a new two-year, $30,000 partnership with District Sports that will be celebrated during a check presentation Thursday, May 2.   

District Sports, the largest provider of recreational soccer leagues in Washington, DC, has been a long-time supporter of the after-school program that serves over 1,450 low-income District youth through the unique combination of soccer, poetry, and service-learning. Included in the new partnership, District Sports will be the official sponsor of the DC SCORES team at Tubman Elementary School in Columbia Heights — the Ward 1 neighborhood that has many schools that participate in DC SCORES as well as many fields used for District Sports’ leagues.

“We are extremely excited about our new partnership with District Sports,” said Amy Nakamoto, Executive Director of DC SCORES.  “They have been an incredible supporter of DC SCORES for nearly five years — whether monetarily, refereeing our elementary school games, hosting fundraisers for us, and more — and this agreement shows just how committed they are to serving the communities in which they offer their leagues.”

“DC SCORES is without question a force for good in our community” said Alex Bearman, Executive Director of District Sports. “We are continually impressed by the positive impact they are having in the DC schools — including some of the locations where we are pleased to play our league games.

“District Sports is proud to call DC SCORES a partner and we are thankful for our member’s support over the years. Without our many returning teams and players, this initative would not be possible.”

The check presentation will take place Thursday at 3:45pm at Tubman Elementary School, where Bearman will present DC SCORES with a check for $30,000 to support programming at the Ward 1 school for two years. Tubman principal Harry Hughes will be present, and DC government officials as well as media members are encouraged to attend. Both Bearman and Nakamoto will speak about the partnership before the check is presented. The ceremony will be immediately followed by Tubman’s DC SCORES ‘Game Day’ against Powell Elementary School.

In addition to sponsoring the team at Tubman, District Sports hosts the Columbia Heights Cup each December in support of DC SCORES. The adult recreational tournament takes place at fields throughout the Columbia Heights neighborhood — including Tubman — with all proceeds benefiting DC SCORES.

About DC SCORES:

For people who believe in a well-rounded childhood, DC SCORES has the quality, team-based approach providing youth with the arts, athletics, and academics that will engage, enrich, and improve their lives. DC SCORES builds teams through after-school programs for over 1,450 low-income DC youth at 42 schools by instilling self-expression, physical fitness, and a sense of community. DC SCORES accomplishes this in an innovative model combining poetry and spoken word, soccer, and service-learning year-round. We have worked with over 7,000 students since our founding in 1994 and we aim to serve EVERY child in the District deserving of a team who does not have one. DC SCORES is an affiliate of America SCORES, with organizations in 14 cities.  Additional information is available at www.DCSCORES.org.

About District Sports:

District Sports is a 501c3 non-profit that seeks to harness its ample membership and resources for the good of the community at-large. Throughout the years we have partnered with local, national and international organizations to provide support for their good works. While much of our charitable focus has been on providing soccer opportunities for those who wouldn't otherwise have them, our aims are diverse. Any given year, District Sports will donate a large portion of its budget to a varied set of groups that  are affecting change. We believe that by scoring goals on the field our teams are helping others attain results in their community.
 

For more information on District Sports, please visit www.districtsports.org.

Media Contact:                                                                           

Jake Lloyd
DC SCORES

(202) 393-6999 x313

jlloyd@americascores.org

# # #

District Sports hosts Columbia Heights Cup to support DC SCORES

During the DC SCORES season, the Columbia Heights area is one of our most active and bustling neighborhoods.

With a handful of schools within a mile radius, on a Thursday or Friday Game Day you can take in action at three or four sites during a two-hour period. It’s a great way to experience the excitement schools’ teams have during their favorite day of the week.

While the DC SCORES season ended last week, this Saturday the neighborhood will once again be the place for soccer action during the 3rd Annual District Sports Columbia Heights Cup.

The tournament is organized by our partner District Sports — the largest provider of adult recreational soccer leagues in DC — and all of its proceeds benefit DC SCORES. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., games will be played at three sites:

Cardozo High School.

Bell High School.

And Tubman Elementary School, where during the spring and fall seasons DC SCORES games are played every Thursday and Friday.

A record 20 teams have signed up for the tournament, which is sponsored by Duffy’s Irish Pub. When you combine a soccer tournament, great bar specials at DC’s best Irish pub, and the chance to support over 1,450 DC youth, it’s a no-brainer to sign up.

The tournament started two years ago as the DC SCORES Holiday Classic at Cardozo. When Tubman and Bell were added to the mix last December, the name was changed to the Columbia Heights Cup because the three schools populate the area.

Two weeks ago, the DC SCORES Capital Cup middle school champions were crowned at Bell. On Saturday, a different championship game will take place on the turf surface — as well as a title game at Cardozo (the tournament features two divisions).

Thanks to District Sports, this tournament will help to continue funding such events as the Capital Cup.

We hope to see you at a field or Duffy’s Saturday.  

Sign up to play in the District Sports Columbia Heights Cup supporting DC SCORES

For anyone who thinks there's an offseason from recreational soccer in the District, we've got news for you. 

You're wrong. 

Our partner District Sports -- the largest provider of adult recreational soccer leagues in the city -- offers opportunities to play our favorite sport throughout the year, and for the third time this December you can play the World's Most Beautiful Game in support of DC SCORES.

Introducing the third annual Columbia Heights Cup.

The Cup, to be held Saturday, Dec. 8, at three sites in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, is a day-long, 7v7, coed tournament -- and 100% of the proceeds from the event benefit the over 1,450 youth DC SCORES serves.

It's a no-brainer to sign up your recreational team, or register individually as a free agent. Regardless of your results on the soccer field, Duffy's Irish Pub is sponsoring the tournament for the third straight year and all participants will receive drink tickets and enjoy specials throughout the day beginning at 12pm.

Here are more details:

• WHAT: 3rd Annual Columbia Heights Cup
• WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 8, 9am-5pm
• WHERE: Cardozo HS, Tubman ES, Bell HS, Duffy's Irish Pub
• COST:  $475/team, $40/individual free agent
• ROSTER: Maximum of 12 players, with at least two of each gender
• FORMAT: 3 guaranteed games in pool play

So don't wait. Sign up your team today, because spots will fill quickly. 

And thank you to District Sports and Alex Bearman, once again, for hosting what should be a tremendous event in support of DC SCORES youth!

District Sports partners with DC SCORES to promote youth development through soccer

For the past few years, we have been privileged to receive great support from the District’s largest adult recreation soccer organization. 

District Sports, headed by Alex Bearman, has been a leading communicator of our cause and has helped us in many ways including: 

• Volunteering at program events and reffing soccer games. 

• Helping to organize and host the Holiday Classic/Columbia Heights Cup soccer tournament the last two years. 

• Loaning equipment to us for events. 

Now, we are proud and excited to formalize our partnership with District Sports, which continues to grow and provide more and more recreational soccer opportunities for adults in the District. 

As part of our agreement, District Sports will continue to support our program financially through two events: 

• In June it will enter a team into the DC SCORES Cup tournament. 

• In December, District Sports will again organize and host the Columbia Heights Cup charity soccer tournament supporting DC SCORES. 

Additionally, District Sports is a tremendous conduit through which we gain volunteers and supporters who are soccer enthusiasts and are interested in our mission. Any communication by District Sports about our programs naturally elicits responses from people curious about how we’re using soccer to inspire youth in the District. 

“District Sports, and Alex Bearman specifically, has been a tremendous supporter of our program for the last few years without ever asking for much in return,” said DC SCORES Executive Director Amy Nakamoto. “We are extremely excited to be working closely with an organization that continues to grow, has a track record of service in the communities in which it’s active, and aligns itself so directly with our emphasis on youth development through soccer.” 

In December, District Sports hosts the Columbia Heights Cup

“As a community-based organization committed to providing soccer opportunities to the citizens of the District of Columbia, District Sports has a lot in common with DC SCORES regardless if the demographics we serve are different,” said District Sports Executive Director Alex Bearman. “District Sports has since its inception taken pride supporting athletics in our city, and DC SCORES is vital to that. 

"Our members have come together this spring season to form 200 unique soccer teams and are proud to be able to play a part in bringing that team experience to the city's youth. We look forward to being a part of the sustained growth of DC SCORES.” 

About District Sports 

District Sports is a non-profit community organization that provides recreational sports leagues for adults in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and is committed to: 

• Offering safe, fun and reliable opportunities for participants to experience sports in an environment that is organized and respects varying levels of skill. 

• Providing a network for participants to connect and engage with one another through a range of social and service activities. 

• Engaging participants and its brand in activities that use sports for development and otherwise improve the quality of life of communities local and global. 

For more information about District Sports or joining one of the dozens of recreational soccer leagues it offers every season, visit www.DistrictSports.org or email info@districtsports.com.

Thanking our extremely generous supporters

Each DC SCORES season, fall or spring, there are several people and organizations, companies and foundations, and others who go the extra mile to help us provide such a high-quality program for an increasing number of DC youth.

Unfortunately, they can’t all be thanked in a blog post. To see our full list of supporters, visit the DC SCORES website.

However, at this time of year, we like to highlight those who made an indelible impact on DC SCORES during the recently completed season.

Let’s start with DC Stoddert Soccer. Not only did the local youth soccer organization handle the insurance for our poet-athletes and fund background checks for our coaches, as it does each season, but it also helped finance the Saturday SCORES soccer clinics that we introduced in Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8.

The Department of Parks and Recreation also contributed to the clinics, which gave students in the communities who don’t necessarily attend a SCORES school the chance to learn the game of soccer from our Athletic Director Kenny Owens and Soccer Specialist Keith Tucker.

Speaking of opportunity, we were able to continue our expansion in Ward 8, adding Garfield Elementary — the third new school in the ward in two years — thanks to the tremendous support of the American Beverage Association. ABA presented us with a big check — literally — of $50,000 at the first elementary school game day.

That wasn’t the only huge check we received. On the second night of the Poetry Slam!, longtime supporter Volkswagen Group of America, which sponsors the team at our flagship school Marie Reed Elementary, once again showed its commitment to our poet-athletes in presenting, on stage, a gigantic check for $25,000.

“With programs like DC SCORES, students develop a passion for lifelong learning,” Anna Schneider, the Volkswagen Vice President of Industry and Government Relations, told the capacity audience.

Students’ learning was enhanced throughout the fall season by poetry specialists, who came from the American Poetry Museum and provided instruction to our 27 teams leading up to the season-culminating Poetry Slam!.

Of course, putting together a performance such as ATA’s — which helped the school win its fourth consecutive Golden Mic trophy on the second night of the Slam! — takes a lot of practicing, and longtime supporter Starbucks helped the cause for all our schools by providing its space for poetry workshops.

Students were able to practice their poems in front of an audience of their peers — not to mention curious Starbucks patrons — and receive constructive criticism leading up to the big night.

Starbucks also enthusiastically supported us throughout the season by providing an activity booth at our Fall Frenzy in October and donating coffee to the Columbia Heights Cup fundraiser soccer tournament in mid-December.

And that day of soccer, which raised over $4,600 for DC SCORES, would have been impossible without the organizing skills and generosity of Alex Bearman and his volunteers from District Sports. The adult rec soccer organization ran all aspects of the tournament, including providing volunteers at each of the sites, without asking for anything in return.

Needless to say, District Sports is an invaluable partner of DC SCORES that we appreciate deeply.

Also going out of their way to help the program were a few local organizations with a passion for the work we do:

826DC, a nonprofit dedicated to helping students with their creative writing skills, ran a popular Haiku-writing booth at the Fall Frenzy and then provided several skilled and knowledgeable judges on both nights of the Poetry Slam!.

And Bartending 4 Change, an all-volunteer nonprofit dedicated to raising money for DC charities, chose DC SCORES as the beneficiary of a December happy hour at Ulah Bistro that raised over $750 for our poet-athletes.

Finally, for the second consecutive year, the ASCAP Songwriter Residency @ America SCORES came to a DC SCORES school and worked with students on creating a song, which the team then turned into a winning performance at the Poetry Slam!.

A year ago, it was MacFarland Middle School. This year, Shaw Middle School poet-athletes created an original work with Hip-hop artist Psalm One, recorded it in a studio, and then took what they learned to the Poetry Slam! stage to win first place for middle schools (if you haven’t seen it yet, watch the PS! highlight video featuring their song).

Overall, it was a tremendous fall season for DC SCORES, and none of it would have been possible without our supporters’ and volunteers’ passion for generously donating their time and resources to our poet-athletes’ cause.

We can’t thank you enough!

District Sports puts together highly successful inaugural Columbia Heights Cup

It was a new idea, a new concept. It had never been tested. Never been tried.

So who, really, knew how the first Columbia Heights Cup soccer tournament would turn out?

No one could know definitively that by playing games simultaneously at three sites in the District, schedules would still work out, teams wouldn’t be waiting for long periods of time in the cold, and everyone would be happy.

Now we know.

With District Sports running the ship, 17 teams enjoyed a day full of competitive soccer games at Cardozo and Bell high schools and Tubman Elementary School — and in between games or once a team was done, everyone headed to sponsor bar Duffy’s Irish Pub.

When all the action was complete, team LFFP ("Little Friend for Peace") — the runners-up of last year’s Holiday Classic, which was played on the same weekend and helped create the idea of the Columbia Heights Cup — emerged victorious and the tournament raised more than $4,600 for DC SCORES. 

But while the soccer was competitive, the day wasn’t just about the results on the fields. It was about celebrating a neighborhood that is home to a handful of DC SCORES schools and a sport that unites community members.

Throughout the morning and afternoon, people from the neighborhood stopped by the fields to watch the games, which often featured several former college players (the deciding game between LFFP and Team Zissou was a display of Division I talent as LFFP survived a back-and-forth contest, 4-3).

As teams’ days ended on the field, they made the short walk or drive to Duffy’s at the corner of Vermont and 9th streets. Everyone then settled in as the bar switched all its TVs to the Real Madrid-Barcelona showdown.

With tournament participants streaming in to use their free drink tickets and enjoy exclusive specials, Duffy’s became packed with soccer — or fύtbol — enthusiasts, who thoroughly enjoyed watching Barcelona’s exciting victory.

The day was a huge success thanks, in huge part, to District Sports. Led by Alex Bearman, the longtime partner of DC SCORES organized the Cup, led recruiting efforts, and handled all the tournament-day logistics.

Additionally, Alex garnered a tremendous group of volunteers who oversaw the tournament at each site and handled setup — early in the morning — and breakdown. The referees also came from District Sports.

We’d also like to thank Duffy’s, which for the second consecutive year was an excellent sponsor bar for the location(s) of the tournament, opened up earlier than usual to accommodate tournament participants, and provided a perfect atmosphere. And longtime partner Starbucks provided coffee at the beginning of the tournament, which made a huge difference in getting people excited about playing soccer at 8 a.m.

Thank you, everyone, for a great day of competition and camaraderie to benefit DC SCORES’ youth soccer players!

Register now for a neighborhood soccer tournament: The Columbia Heights Cup

The Columbia Heights neighborhood — if you can call it that; it’s a pretty large ‘hood — of Washington, DC, is, undoubtedly, an area swarming with DC SCORES kids.

Walk down 14th Street and turn either way on Irving during non-school hours, and chances are you’ll see a kid with a DC SCORES shirt on — maybe bouncing a soccer ball, too.

Within a square mile or so, we serve students at seven schools. Poet-athletes are everywhere. Staff members will often swing by two, three or four fields on a game day if their game ends a tad early.

So it’s only appropriate that the winter soccer fundraiser presented by District Sports and known last year as the Holiday Classic has a new name — the Columbia Heights Cup.

The Dec. 10 all-day, co-ed, 7v7 recreational tournament will dominate the neighborhood’s soccer fields. A year ago, its first year, the fundraiser was held at Cardozo High School. This year, thanks to the work of District Sports, it will be played at three sites all within a mile or two of each other:

• Cardozo High School.
• Tubman Elementary School
• Bell High School

Registration is open for 24 teams, and spots will fill extremely quickly (last year, 12 spots were filled in a week). The team fee is a $450 donation to DC SCORES and includes:

• At least three games in round-robin play
• 12 Columbia Heights Cup team T-shirts (to be worn during play)
• Invitation to the pre-tournament party Dec. 7
• Day-of drink and food specials at Duffy's Irish Pub all day
• Gift certificates for the tournament winner and the Most Creative Team Name
• The chance to learn more about DC SCORES!

Register on the District Sports website, and participate in a neighborhood soccer tournament that directly benefits the young soccer players growing up in the homes surrounding the playing fields!