Founded in 2006 by Lawrence
Cann, the Homeless USA Soccer
Cup is not your regular brand of
soccer.
Forget large grassy fields, 11
players per team, and 90 minutes
of play with a relatively small
number of goals.
This is Street Soccer.
Played on an asphalt surface
the size of a tennis court, only
four players per team are allowed
to play at one time in Street Soccer.
Given the smaller size and
15-minute game length, the goals
scored in these games can reach
into the teens.
From June 27 to June 29, the
Washington Kastles stadium,
located on 11th and H streets,
Northwest, will be host to the
third annual Homeless USA Soccer
Cup. With teams traveling from New York, Los Angeles and everywhere
in between, 12 teams and more than 100 players
are expected to participate. The D.C. Street
Soccer Club will be one of them.
The D.C. Street Soccer Club started in May
2007 as a project of Street Sense, D.C.’s newspaper
about poverty and homeless issues.
The team is composed of homeless and
formerly homeless individuals and is a volunteer-
run project. The team practices every
week and belongs to a league on Capitol Hill,
according to its Web site.
The first Homeless USA Cup was held
in Charlotte in 2006 and was attended by
10 teams and 55 players, including a team
from Washington, D.C. In 2007, Street Soccer
USA and the Urban Ministry Center held a
mini-tournament in Charlotte. Each of these
tournaments determined the U.S. homeless
national team to be sent to the Homeless
World Cup that year.
In the spotlight
Recently, Street Soccer has been given the
cinematic spotlight. Sarah Koch, an award
winning filmmaker, decided to undertake
the task of creating a documentary film about
Street Soccer. “Kicking It” highlights six international
players who traveled to Cape Town
in 2006 for the Homeless World Cup.
The producer of the film, Ted Leonsis, was
skeptical about the project.
“When [Susan] first told me about the idea,
I thought it was almost offensive and dumb,”
Leonsis said.
“Homeless people playing soccer? I
thought it was exploitive.
Then she showed
me some of the footage,”
he said.
Leonsis stepped on
board and upon completion,
the film was
accepted into the Sundance
Film Festival.
At Sundance, Leonsis
met Lawrence Cann who
was looking for a venue
for this year’s U.S. Cup. Leonsis, a philanthropist
and consummate lover of sports, decided
to underwrite this year’s tournament.
Leonsis met Mark Ein, the owner of the
Washington Kastles, who granted the use of
this year’s games in the new stadium.
“It’s a family endeavor,” Leonsis said. “My
son is interning at the catering company that
will provide the food throughout the weekend
for the players and my friend, Russ Ramsey,
arranged for the players to be housed at
George Washington University.”
Besides the opportunity for players to win
a variety of awards, the tournament’s best
players will be chosen to represent the U.S.
in this year’s Homeless
World Cup in Melbourne,
Australia.
While skill is an
important part of the
criteria, the players’
ability to be ambassadors
and advocates for
the homeless are just as
crucial. The Homeless
World Cup is composed
of the best players from
48 countries such as
Russia, Kenya, Brazil
and Cambodia.
The upcoming competition
can be life
changing for players and fans alike.
“All of the athletes have been homeless
within the last year,” Cann said.
“This event recognizes the humanity and
gifts of a misunderstood category inside our
society. It instills values, permits players to
self advocate, and challenges public opinion
at the same time.”
The players will have a chance to see the
D.C. premiere of “Kicking It” on Saturday
night, June 28, at the E Street Theater.
When D.C. United plays the Los Angeles
Galaxy on Sunday, in front of 55,000 fans, all
of the players will be recognized at centerfield
during halftime for their accomplishments.
The schedule for the Homeless USA Cup
will be centered around three different times
during the weekend. The opening ceremony
will be held Friday at 12:30 p.m, the semifinals
on Saturday at 5 p.m, and the final matches
on Sunday from 4 to 5 p.m.
“We hope to attract a crowd of 1,000 or
more, especially on the final day,” Cann
said.
“Washington Kastles Stadium seats 2,000.
so come one, come all. If your group is coming,
please register with us by e-mailing
volunteer@streetsoccerusa.org and we will
announce you over the PA,” he said.
The games are sponsored in large part by
the Ted Leonsis Family Foundation, Nike, Wachovia
Bank, and the US Soccer Foundation.Street Soccer USA, along with Street Sense
and the National Coalition for the Homeless,
are hosting the 2008 Homeless USA Cup.
Leonsis, once the skeptic, is now convinced
of the value of the Homeless USA Cup and the
Homeless World Cup.
“They’re not forgotten. It elevates their
personhood and dignity. Being a person who
loves sports, I’ve seen how a goal can change
someone’s life,” Leonsis said.
