Team effort makes largest event in DC SCORES history a rousing success

Brightwood Education Campus shows off their
service-learning board at Jamboree!.

Upon reaching the edge of the expansive grassy area by the middle school co-ed soccer field, one person after another had a version of the same question Saturday afternoon.

Where can I find X school?

Where do I sign in to volunteer?

It wasn't that anything was poorly marked. Simply put, the 19th Annual DC SCORES Jamboree! was so big that if you stood by the middle school soccer fields at one end of Anacostia Park, the blue tents for registration, the DJ, lunch and activity booths seemed a mile away.

Between them were 16 soccer fields, which hosted game after game beginning with the City Cup championships at 8am and not ending until Cardozo defeated Kelly Miller on penalty kicks in the co-ed title game after 3pm.

In all, 178 soccer games were played during seven hours. Think about that for a moment -- 178!! To keep all the teams hydrated, DrinkMore Water made a very generous donation of 70 bottles!

And soccer was just one aspect of the action-packed day. Buoyed by an incredibly energetic and flexible band of 136 volunteers -- including 25 program alumni -- and partners including Revolution Foods, 826 DC, the Foundation For Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (FAAR), Penya Barcelonista, 826 DC and Modell's Sporting Goods, we provided 1,500 students representing 47 schools and their families with the most action-packed event in the organization's 20-year history.

One of the service-learning boards each school created
to demonstrate the impact of their project.

The day started with the City Cup title games, which were played as all the other schools trudged across the grassy area toward the music being played by DJ RBI. After two exciting games -- the Burrville girls defeated Seaton and Capital City boys beat Burrville -- all four teams received trophies and medals from Executive Director Amy Nakamoto and special guest Councilmember David Grosso.

Then, on opposite ends of the park, all the elementary and middle schools gathered and shouted out their school names. The full-fledged Jamboree! was underway. A minute later, the green expanse was covered by kids in T-shirts of every color with their school names as they flocked to their first activity.

In between soccer games, elementary school kids had plenty to do at a handful of stations including:

• Reviewing the colorful and creative boards each school made to celebrate their service-learning project. Late in the afternoon, winners were announced for the best boards, with Marie Reed and Brightwood the elementary school service-learning champions, and Brightwood and KIPP KEY the middle school winners.
• Learning about and then creating healthy yogurt parfaits with Revolution Foods to fuel themselves for more games.
• Working together to create fun and silly stories with 826DC by having each member of a team write a line.
• Practicing their shooting accuracy with Penya Barcelonista during a skills challenge. 
• Receiving bags filled with books thanks to our generous donors from FAAR and the National Home Library Association, and World Cup sticker books from Modell's. 
• Doing the hula hoop and dancing to whatever song DJ RBI played next.
• Getting their faces decorated -- always a favorite! -- by volunteers including energetic groups from Capital One and CliftonLarsonAllen.
• And, of course, eating a healthy lunch provided by Revolution Foods

Parents received giveaways, too, including tye-dye shirts from FAAR and coupons from Modell's.

Kelly Miller had a great Jamboree! soccer tournament
and showed tremendous sportsmanship throughout. 

Meanwhile, game after game was played at the middle school fields where three tournaments were played. Each team was guaranteed at least three games, and many played more -- walking from one field to the next with no time in between. On a hot day, the kids representing 17 middle schools demonstrated just how physically fit they are and how much they love soccer, and when there were minor injuries Sport and Spine Rehab was on the scene.

The skill level was high, too, as teams played evenly matched games -- penalty-kick shootouts were a theme -- until the Capital City girls and Brightwood boys defeated Lincoln in a pair of close games preceding Cardozo's win over Kelly Miller to close out the day.

The Barnard Elementary School DC SCORES
team with some of their fans.

By then, everyone was exhausted. As kids, their faces decorated in facepaint, boarded their buses, they were ready for a nap. But they didn't just leave with their tired legs.

In addition to the many giveaways they received, each school left Anacostia Park with a team photo that the kids decorated and framed during the day. It served as a reminder that Jamboree! was just the conclusion to the DC SCORES season -- one which is still fresh in the minds of 1,500 youth and their coaches.

"They have fallen in love with the sport of soccer," Barnard Elementary School coach Erin Druelinger said after Jamboree! of her team, "and more importantly, have become role models at our school."

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Read all the Tweets from the 19th Annual DC SCORES Jamboree! below in our Storify!

DC SCORES Fall Frenzy serves multiple purposes for program participants and coaches

The Burrville Eagles.

As Tom Mason stood watching his C.W. Harris Elementary School Vikings soccer team play yet another game, he thought back to the previous year.

Only three of Mason's students were able to attend the 2012 DC SCORES Fall Frenzy. While the trio had loads of fun, the youth also took away tangible benefits from the event.

"They ended up being some of my best players last year because they were like, 'Wow, we've got to step it up. We can do this!'" Mason said.

"Seeing all the other teams and the different talent levels, they get to see different tricks and different things other teams are doing so they get a better understanding of the game."

This year, Mason had a much larger group of Vikings and was confident they would come away from the 16th Annual Fall Frenzy Saturday at Trinity Washington University with a greater understanding of the game and what they need to do to get better.

"I'm able to teach them, 'Look at how they were passing, look at how they were shooting,'" Mason said of playing against a handful of other teams from throughout the District.

"'We might have to play a team like this. You know how good they are? We gotta focus better, we gotta get on this if we want to be as good as them.'"

That motivation to improve was just one aspect of DC SCORES' fall celebration for hundreds of students representing 30 elementary schools. Mixed in with the soccer games were all kinds of fun and goofy activities.

It was a family fun day that went on and on and on -- much to the kids' liking.

With DJ RBI blaring songs both past and present, the corner of the field he occupied from 9am-2:30pm often became a grass-laden dance floor. Teams even took a breather during their soccer games to do the Cha Cha Slide.

The main field at Trinity contained a flurry of soccer activity, with six games played simultaneously -- one after another. Up a small hill, three more fields featured game after game. First, the girls would play, followed by the boys. Then a horn would sound, and teams would move on to their next game or activity.

The activity stations were down the hill from the DJ booth, and were no less fun than the soccer -- often involving the sport, too. At one station, volunteers led a relay race. A student would start by doing something such as somersaults or running backward to one end; they would then receive a paper instruction from a volunteer to dance, spin or cartwheel back -- you get the point.

Adjacent to the relay races, kids practiced their shooting accuracy on a big net set up by partner Penya Barcelonista. When done with that, they tried scoring on a real goalkeeper at another big goal -- putting their practice into action (before, of course, they headed back up the hill for game action) ... but not before exercising their minds and creative sides at a Halloween bag-decorating station and a poetry writing table.

This is what a student from Imagine Hope Community Charter School wrote about the different aspects of autumn:

I am something that falls
I am something that you eat
I am something you love
I am something you drink
I am something that falls from the tree
Who am I?


In between activities, teams took turns visiting the Revolution Foods truck where wraps, vegetables and fruit provided a healthy lunch to keep kids energized well into the afternoon. Participants stayed hydrated as the weather slowly warmed thanks to a generous donation from long-time partner DrinkMore Water. And all minor injuries were healed quickly thanks to Sport and Spine Rehab's expert team.

The event also featured a special guest, as Talon, D.C. United's mascot, made an appearance and was immediately swarmed for photo opportunities by anyone and everyone who caught sight of the big bird.

The Fall Frenzy was a great chance, too, for parents who work during the week to see their children in action on the soccer field. Parents filled out surveys about the program's impact and took home giveaways and coupons from our partner Modell's Sporting Goods.

And they walked away feeling proud of how much their kids have grown within their DC SCORES teams.

"She thinks I'm too hard on her but I'm very excited (watching)," said Gregory Hawkins, whose daughter Taylor is a fourth-grader at Anne Beers Elementary School. "I just like to see the fact that she takes interest in playing sports."

The Fall Frenzy would not have been possible or run so smoothly -- from nine soccer fields, to six booths, to the lunch truck, to the parent tent -- without the largest showing of volunteers ever for such an event. Decked out in neon-yellow shirts, with a special design for the referees, nearly 100 individuals spread out across the the complex to make a difference for DC youth.

Volunteer referee Justin Feltman.

Justin Feltman has refereed elementary school soccer games all fall and was happy to do six or seven more Saturday and get to see new teams play.

"Win or lose, it seemed like everyone was pretty happy, which is awesome because an important part of sportsmanship is being able to handle losing well," Feltman said after reffing his final game. "It was just great to be a part of that kind of environment and hang out with the kids, get to know them a little bit."

As the music died down and 30 teams in an array of DC SCORES T-shirts walked up the hill toward the awaiting buses, participants reflected on an action-packed day.

"It didn't matter if we won or lost. We were having fun!" an Imagine Hope student said.

"Getting my face painted!" Malik from Thomson said of his favorite part of the Fall Frenzy.

"Playing soccer!" added Thomson midfielder and forward Jason.

Added Kevin of Marie Reed: "This is my first year coming to the Fall Frenzy. What I like about it is going against other schools and working together as a team."

As Mason can attest, that experience will likely pay off for many teams as the DC SCORES fall soccer and poetry season heads toward its final month.

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!

11th Annual DC SCORES Cup features tournament-record 30 teams

Come Saturday, the nasty weather is expected to clear and 30 soccer teams made up of companies and firms — large and small — from the DMV will take the soccer fields at the Maryland SoccerPlex for the largest charity soccer tournament in the area.

The DC SCORES Cup.

The 11th annual version of the event formerly known as the "Sharks vs. Suits Shootout" has grown over the past four years by 10 teams, morphing into a full day of more than 80 soccer games. The event is expected to raise $100,000 directly supporting low-income youth in the District.

The co-ed, 7v7 tournament features companies such as Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, which is participating for the 11th consecutive year, and others who are joining the mix for the first time. 

Below is a list of participants:

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.

The tournament is being held at the Maryland SoccerPlex, home of the Washington Spirit, for the fourth time on its pristine trio of turf fields. Occasions Caterers is providing lunch for the second straight year; Perfect Settings is generously donating tables and chairs, and DrinkMore Water is donating water; and Sport and Spine Rehab isn't just playing in the Cup, but is also providing athletic trainers throughout the day. Modell's Sporting Goods not only donated $250 in gift cards for the team that raises the most through the ongoing Razoo Fundraising competition, but will have giveaways for tournament participants during the day.

And U.S. soccer star Oguchi Onyewu, whose nonprofit Go Global is hosting an event featuring DC SCORES youth June 29, will be a special guest and sign autographs during the middle of the day.

Add all that to an action-packed slate of soccer games, and the 2013 DC SCORES Cup will be the best yet for close to 500 DMV professionals. 

Want to join us at the SoccerPlex? Directions. And a detailed site map.

Need to know your team's schedule? Check out the tournament bracket.

Want to help your team's fundraising efforts? Find their Razoo page HERE.

See you Saturday!

Over 1,500 people enjoy action-packed day at 18th DC SCORES Jamboree! celebration

The 18th Annual DC SCORES Jamboree! was epitomized by its moments.

Perhaps none better defined the June 1 celebration of the spring season than the one in the aftermath of the City Cup championship soccer games that kicked off the event. 

Before the Burrville Elementary School girls team received the trophy for winning a seventh consecutive title, a girl clad in her red DC SCORES uniform stood up and -- in front of DC Councilmembers Tommy Wells and David Grosso -- said that all participants from the four teams that played in the games were winners. She then walked over to the seated Marie Reed Elementary girls and the Wheatley Education Campus boys, giving out high fives.

Thus began a day that involved winning and trophies, but left all participants smiling -- and tired -- after several hours of soccer games, facepainting and much more.

The Jamboree! was, by far, the largest-scale DC SCORES event in the organization's 19-year history. Over 1,450 youth representing 45 schools joined hundreds of parents, dozens of volunteers, and a handful of awesome program partners at Anacostia Park. 

To give an idea of just how large the event was, 128 elementary and middle school soccer games were played on 14 fields. And that was just the soccer.

There were also:

• Volunteers from DC SCORES partner Sephora running a professional facepainting booth throughout the day.

• Longtime partner Penya Barcelonista running a soccer shooting station where kids from each school split into three teams and tested out their accuracy. The prize for those most on-target? Awesome Penya scarves!

• Hundreds DC SCORES parents watching their kids play soccer, then filling out surveys about the program and receiving water bottles and bags from Modell's Sporting Goods in return. Many parents don't get to see their children in action during the season, making Saturday a great opportunity to finally watch them proudly wear their school uniforms.
  

• The service-learning display and contest. Saturday marked the culmination of a season not just defined by soccer, but by every DC SCORES school creating and implementing a project to better their school or surrounding community. Each school brought a poster board visually documenting their project, and staff members voted these the top three projects:

• Kelly Miller Middle School won Most Creative Project for visiting a retirement home and teaching the elderly how to use technology (blog).

• Bancroft Elementary School won Project with the Greatest Impact for raising over $1,000 for homeless animals. 

• Seaton Elementary School won Best Board Design for not only creating a beautiful array of pictures from their school garden, but bringing fresh radishes, chard and other vegetables to display!

• Members from the U.S. Soccer Athlete Council coming out on the 100th anniversary of soccer in the United States to run soccer relay races and drills with kids. Former U.S. Women's National Team members including Angela Hucles, Heather Mitts and others had a great time teaching DC SCORES students skills and playing games with them.

• Revolution Foods, the event's lunch provider, teaming up with DC Hunger Solutions to lead a station where students created nutritious snacks -- such as a yogurt parfait with peaches and berries -- to keep them feeling good during the long, hot day of soccer.

• DC SCORES partner The Century Council giving away to both kids and parents cool sunglasses, T-shirts, and bilingual literature about the dangers of underage drinking and drinking while driving. 

• And, of course, DJ RBI spinning tunes to help keep everyone energized on a blazing-hot day under the sun, and Sport and Spine Rehab expert trainers available for anyone who needed medical attention.

Did I mention the 128 soccer games? 

They began with the City Cup championship games at 8:15 a.m. The Burrville Eagles girls team -- a DC SCORES dynasty -- listened to the constant urgings of "PASS! PASS!" from their coach Daryl Forte and used teamwork to defeat Reed in the girls game. In the boys game, Reed -- DC SCORES' flagship school where the program began in 1994 -- defeated first-time championship game participant Wheatley.

All four teams received trophies from Executive Director Amy Nakamoto, and special guests Wells and Grosso hung medals around the students' necks. 

The championship games complete, the Jamboree! kicked off for everyone -- with seven elementary school games and seven middle schools games played simultaneously for over 5 hours. Teams were guaranteed three games, and some played as many as seven. The games were all refereed by DC SCORES volunteers, who could be spotted in their neon yellow T-shirts all over the park grounds throughout the entire event.

After losing two of their first three games, the MacFarland boys -- playing as a DC SCORES team for the final time -- rallied to win two consecutive games. Shaw Middle School at Garnet-Patterson, which is also closing at the end of the school year, had a magical four-game streak that ended just short of the boys championship, won for a third straight time by Paul Public Charter School.

On the middle school girls side, Capital City Public Charter School participants thought their day was over after a loss and began walking to the parking lot. But it wasn't. The tournament's double-elimination format gave them a chance to keep playing, and they did just that all the way to the championship to cap off the school's first year as a DC SCORES program participant. 

By 3pm, the music died down, the last games were whistled complete, the final trophies were rewarded, and kids from 45 schools boarded buses content and exhausted from a day that perfectly encapsulated everything the DC SCORES spring season is about and included many of the people, partners and volunteers who make it all possible.

Read a chronological recap of the day on Twitter by visiting the #Jamboree13 hashtag

Over 800 students exercise their minds, soccer skills at action-packed 15th Annual Fall Frenzy

Aaliyah C. counted on her fingers, making sure the syllables added up. 

5-7-5

That was the breakdown she needed, as she tried different combinations of words. Leaning on the table, amidst her teammates with the clock ticking, Aaliyah had the concentration of a test taker. She strove to complete this haiku for Davis' Team Awesome in its competition against the Super Team.

One after another, the lines came to her and she wrote them on the pad of paper:

We play soccer well/
On the field we make assists/
We are great players

Success! Aaliyah felt a great sense of accomplishment with the completion of her first ever haiku. The volunteers from 826DC could be thanked for this. There aren't too many haiku contests out there for DC youth.

"It's awesome," Aaliyah said. "I got to learn how to make a sentence of five (syllables), a sentence of seven, and then another one of five."

That was just one lesson learned by over 800 elementary school students during the 15th Annual DC SCORES Fall Frenzy Saturday at Anacostia Park. Hundreds of parents and community partners also came out to see their children play in soccer games; get their faces painted; run relay races; practice their shooting accuracy; and a lot more.

This was the first year the Fall Frenzy was held at Anacostia Park, and it was the perfect venue to accommodate so much activity. See if you can imagine all that was going on at once:

At the northernmost part of the grassy expanse, DJ RBI spun jams throughout the day, which kept participants' energy level high and also led to plenty of dancing.

To RBI's right, hundreds of parents stopped by a tent where they filled out surveys about their children's experience in DC SCORES. Toward the end of the day, names were drawn and an extremely excited mother won a raffle for a game console donated by The Century Council.

To the right of the tent, a large goal was set up with target-practice patches strung to it — "30," "40," "50." DC SCORES partner Penya Barcelonista ran a shooting accuracy contest for each team that came through. When it was Thomson Elementary's turn, coaches Pharis Owens and Popsie Lewis provided more incentive for their students by placing their faces right up against the targets. Talk about living dangerously!

Adjacent to the Penya shooting station, students engaged in a relay race you've probably never seen before. Each student had to carry a soccer ball on a cone to a volunteer, who held up a flashcard with a word on it. The student then had to say a word that rhymed with the written word before turning around and carrying the ball to the next student in line. When a Tubman Elementary student saw "Mellow" on the card, they didn't need any time to think.

"Yellow!" 

A few hundred feet behind the Penya station to the south, the soccer fields were spread out across a wide area of grass. During every 25-minute period, nine games were ongoing. First, the girls would play, followed by the boys. Every school played a handful of games, many of them against schools they had never seen before. 

Afterward, a Davis Elementary School student — his faced painted half black, half white — beamed as he told me about his first goal ever scored in a DC SCORES uniform. His moment was one of dozens experienced by the nine elementary schools participating in the event for the first time.

To the northeast of the soccer fields, several tables and tents were set up and surrounded by hordes of students taking a break from the soccer action. At two of the tables, volunteers painted designs, school names, favorite numbers and more on the faces and arms of students who had plenty of Halloween spirit. 

After getting their tattoos, students topped by The Century Council table where they picked up soccer bags and filled them with free books, sunglasses and more giveaways from our awesome partner. Then they took all their free stuff to the 826 tent for some haiku writing followed by a stop at the Starbucks tent for arts and crafts activities.

After all that, students took a break from activity at the lunch area and did a little dancing to the beats of DJ RBI before heading back out to the soccer fields.

Exhausted reading this?

But wait, there's more...

Thanks to a very generous donation from greeNEWit, hundreds of kids who arrived at the Frenzy wearing high tops for their soccer shoes left the event sporting used soccer cleats. They couldn't have been happier with a bag full of Halloween candy. They also walked away with Modell's Sporting Goods water bottles and bags thanks to a donation from our partner. And any injuries sustained during the long day of exercise were healed thanks to the medical expertise and soothing powers of Sport and Spine Rehab trainers. 

There was no better indication of how enjoyable the event was than the number of volunteers who showed up throughout the day. Whether they were painting faces, refereeing games, serving lunch or picking up trash, volunteers made the Fall Frenzy run smoothly from start to finish. 

Several of the volunteers were either DC SCORES alumni — eager to give back to the program — or middle school participants who also wanted to make the day special for the elementary school students. These students' eagerness to contribute to the day demonstrated their love for the program and desire to stay connected to it.

The day was awesome/
Kids everywhere, parents too/
Thank you everyone!

Shop at Modell's Sporting Goods this month to support DC SCORES

If you walk into the Modell's Sporting Goods in the bustling Columbia Heights shopping district -- tucked neatly under the Target/Best Buy/Washington Sports Club empire -- you quickly feel like you're in a cozy, neighborhood store. 

Not only are friendly attendants always at the ready to help you find the newest sports gear, but when you're ready to check out, a look at the back wall will reveal a trio of soccer jerseys hanging up.

DC SCORES jerseys.

The shirts have been on display since Modell's became a partner of DC SCORES last year with the opening of the store on 14th Street -- there is also a Modell's on Benning Road in Northeast. Ever since, the store has been a popular destination for DC SCORES students and alumni from schools such as Tubman Elementary, Lincoln Middle and MacFarland Middle who live close to the store.

Thanks in  part to DC SCORES students, in fact, the store has increased its soccer section -- and the prices are the most affordable of any sporting goods store in the city.

This is a big reason why we're proud to continue our partnership with Modell's this month. Through June 28, print out this coupon for 15% off at either of DC's stores -- print as many as you'd like -- and 5% of your sales will come back to DC SCORES. Not only that, but you'll be supporting a local business that strives to serve the residents of this city who don't have the means to shop at the bigger, more expensive stores that are mostly in the suburbs.

Through our partnership, Modell's is also providing gift cards to use as giveaways at summer camp and events such as our SCORES Cup June 16, which we in turn use to direct traffic to the store. A cash sponsorship has allowed us to purchase more soccer equipment that will be put to use at our three free camps this summer.  

"Modell's is a proud sponsor and supporter of the DC SCORES organization and we are excited to continue our partnership with them this year," said Modell's Community Ambassador Jamal Jones. "We recognize the impact DC SCORES has on the kids in our communities.

"We want to do our part and make sure that organizations such as DC SCORES have all the necessary resources to continue to have a positive impact on our communities."

So when you go in the 14th Street store, point to the jerseys on the wall and mention that you're a DC SCORES supporter. We're sure the cashier will smile as they recognize the name. 

DC SCORES Jamboree! to highlight several partners of the organization

If you were to walk into the DC SCORES office today, you would be greeted by several large boxes of spiffy sunglasses and neon-green bags.

On Saturday, the gear will be sported by over 800 students during the 17th annual Jamboree! thanks to a generous donation from The Century Council.

They’re just one of several partners whose contributions should make Saturday’s celebration of the spring DC SCORES season action- and fun-packed for the students, parents and community members who come to Trinity University’s athletic fields.

The other partners include:

Starbucks: The longtime DC SCORES supporter will have a table where volunteers will lead an art activity with the kids. Additionally, the coffee chain is providing refreshments throughout the day.

826 DC: The nonprofit dedicated to inspiring creative expression in youth will lead a booth where students can do just that. At the Fall Frenzy in October, participants learned how to write haikus.

Penya Barcelonista: The Barcelona fan club in D.C. will host a soccer skills station, where the skilled adult players will teach students how to executive a perfect header and drill that goal into the upper left corner of the net.

Volkswagen Group of America: VW will continue its commitment to our students by providing tons of giveaways and raffle prizes, including autographed D.C. United gear, and will run a relay races station.

First Book: The nonprofit has donated, once again, thousands of books to our program, which students will get to take home for summer reading.

Kajeet: As if D.C. United gear wasn’t enough, parents will have even more incentive to enter the raffle because our new partner kajeet is donating two of its kid-safe smartphones.

American Diabetes Association: The ADA will have a booth set up for students and parents where they can learn about healthy living habits.

DC Central Kitchen: For the first time, the kitchen that has distributed more than 25 million meals to low-income families and nonprofits during the last 23 years will provide a healthy lunch for all participants.

Modell’s Sporting Goods: As part of our continuing partnership with the local store, today we are kicking off a Modell’s Team Weeks period. Through June 28, we will distribute coupons for 15% off to local stores and 5% of each purchase will come back to DC SCORES. Look for these coupons at Jamboree!.

Rotaract Club of Metro Washington, DC; The Kiwanis Club of Washington, DC:  Volunteers will man the always-popular facepainting station throughout the day.

Sound like a good time?

And we haven’t even mentioned that the elementary school City Cup championship games will kick off the day. Or that round-robin soccer tournaments for all our schools will begin immediately after the title games and continue all day. Or the fact that special guest ABC sports anchor Britt McHenry and DJ RBI will join Athletic Director Kenny Owens in helping to get everyone pumped up and ready for action in the morning.

Yes, there should be no shortage of fun to be had at the Jamboree! Saturday thanks to DC SCORES’ incredible partners and supporters.

Rest up for a big day at Trinity!

Teams come together, grow stronger at Fall Frenzy celebration

When the Garfield Elementary School bus pulled up to Kelly Miller Middle School last Saturday morning, its occupants weren’t exactly itching to get off it.

“They were more worried about how cold it was outside than the teams (they’d be playing),” said Garfield soccer coach Terrell Clifford. “They were like, ‘Do we have to go out here? It’s freezing!’”

It wasn’t exactly an auspicious start to the first Fall Frenzy for DC SCORES’ newest elementary school. However, some five hours later, Clifford could laugh about it. By then, his small, tight-knit group of poet-athletes was mostly smiles, as the kids thoroughly enjoyed the large program event.

“They’re pretty much in awe of what’s going on,” Clifford said as he watched Garfield play its last of four games, “but they’re enjoying every second of it.”

Over 800 poet-athletes participated in the 14th annual celebration of the fall season, which drew more than 1,000 people total to Kelly Miller in Ward 7, including parents; community members; a large number of volunteers, many of them program alumni; program partners; and others.

The Fall Frenzy was funded by DC Stoddert Soccer and the District’s Department of Parks and Recreation. In addition to cross-city soccer games played on nine adjacent fields, poet-athletes enjoyed facepainting; writing Haikus at the 826 DC table; running relay races with volunteers from Rotaract; creating arts and crafts at the Starbucks table; and testing their kicking accuracy and working on headers with Penya Barcelonista, DC’s official FC Barcelonia fan club. Kids also took advantage of free water bottles provided by Modell's Sporting Goods and danced -- sometimes while on the soccer field -- to the music played by DJ RBI.

At the beginning of the morning, DC SCORES Athletic Director Kenny Owens brought all the teams together to show off their school pride and kick off the day. Then, with the blaring of the mega horn, teams were dispersed, and within a minute, Kelly Miller’s athletic fields and parking lot were filled with 27 different colors.

The enormity of the event could be a little intimidating for first-time participants, especially with so many bigger kids on many of the elementary school teams. When Clifford’s group of mostly third-graders prepared to play Perry Street Prep -- which featured several fifth-graders -- the poet-athletes couldn’t believe the size of their opponents.

“Man, they’re bigger than us, I’m gonna run through their legs!” one third-grader said.

“They too big! They giants,” another poet-athlete lamented.

“Coach, tell us something!” said a third.

After a brief huddle, though, Garfield’s players relaxed with a chant of “1 … 2 … 3 .. Garfield!” and played a fearless game against the much bigger kids.

And that is all Clifford can ask of his poet-athletes at this point in the season. Starting a team at a school where most students have never touched a soccer ball or heard of a throw-in isn’t easy, Clifford knows, and he’s taking things one day at a time.

“It’s definitely a process and I think we’re getting there slowly but surely,” Clifford said. “I think the success for our team is just working together for a whole match or a half. If we’re fortunate enough to score a goal, that’s a big gain.

“A little icing on the cake.”

A few minutes later, Clifford was enjoying that icing and let out a “Yeahhhhh!!!” after his team put together a scoring play. For all its struggles against bigger, more experienced teams for most of the day, one goal more than made Garfield’s trip to Kelly Miller well worth it.

At Garfield’s first home game a few weeks back, the team received incredible support, as Clifford estimated that 70 to 80 people -- including the school band, parents and faculty members -- came out to cheer on the team. A smaller group of supporters was on hand Saturday, encouraging and giving courage to the team as it navigated uncharted territory.

And by the end of the day, no poet-athletes were complaining anymore. Except about the fact that the day, and the games, was over.

“Everyone has progressed in the same pattern,” Clifford said. “It’s a team effort for the most part.

“They’ve got some fire under them.”

DC SCORES continues strong partnership with Modell's Sporting Goods

As sad as it is to see another summer fly by, the onset of fall also means the beginning of another DC SCORES soccer season.

Across the city, students at our 27 schools are practicing and preparing for their first game days of the season next week. An anticipation is in the air!

And with friendly competition right around the corner, it’s also the perfect time to shop at Modell’s Sporting Goods and check out their expansive section of soccer equipment.

That’s why we’re excited to announce another deal at Modell’s as part of our continuing partnership. 

"We're proud to be a strong community partner with Modell's," Executive Director Amy Nakamoto said. "Their support thus far has benefited our students and fans alike with equipment and special discounts. We look forward to continuing a long and impactful partnership!"

Between now and Oct. 13, take this DC SCORES coupon to any Modell’s location — in D.C., that means Columbia Heights or Benning Road — and receive 15% off on your purchases.

Visit once. Visit twice. Visit 13 times. Just print off a coupon each time!

An added bonus — 5% of your sale will come back to DC SCORES, helping to pay for gleaming new jerseys, shorts, socks and shin guards for 800-plus poet athletes.

DC SCORES is proud to continue our partnership with Modell’s and its strong presence in the District. Even if you don’t need merchandise, stop by the location in Columbia Heights (on 14th Street, just north of Target) and check out our jerseys hanging behind the cash registers.

Then swing by the home soccer field of Tubman Elementary School and Lincoln Middle School (11th and Irving) and you’ll see a banner celebrating the partnership.

Not only is Modell’s offering coupons for DC SCORES participants, supporters, volunteers and staff this fall, it’s also providing gift certificates that we’re using to upgrade our soccer equipment. New goals, new balls, new anything — Modell’s is probably to thank.

So after game days this fall — and especially in the next three weeks — don’t forget to swing by your local Modell’s for great deals and to support DC SCORES.

And tell them your connection to our program. They’re as excited as we are about being the local sporting goods sponsor of DC’s youth soccer players.