Soccer Without Borders Brings Diversity and Inclusion to the World’s Game
Before coming to the United States, Fatuma had never played soccer. Not in her native Somalia, which she has yet to set foot in, nor in the Kenyan refugee camp where she was born. “I was never able to play back home,” she says. “It’s considered a boys’ thing and if you’re seen playing a sport that’s male-dominated, they’ll say you’re breaking the cultural norms and that’s bad.”
Since moving to Oakland in 2012, however, Fatuma learned about an opportunity to play the game with other refugee girls through a program called Soccer Without Borders (SWB). “In the beginning, she was really shy and hesitant in her communication,” says SWB Executive Director Mary McVeigh Connor. “I think for many girls SWB provides a sense of community and helps girls develop their confidence and voice, and I think Fatuma is a great example of those things.”
In July Fatuma will travel to Lyon, France to participate in the Festival of Football, an international event hosted by streetfootballworld and the Lyon-based non-profit Sport Dans La Ville that 40 delegations from over 30 countries will attend. The goal is for this group of diverse participants to discuss and engage in workshops around the topics of gender equality and leadership, says McVeigh.
“We were selected as one of three organizations in the U.S. that are sending a delegation,” she explains. “We chose what we believe will be the most culturally diverse delegation at the event, with players originally from Syria, Thailand, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Honduras. Fatuma is a standout alumna and we are proud to have her support the team as a Young Leader and Assistant Coach.”
Her story is exceptional, but the exception is the norm at SWB. The non-profit’s mission is to use soccer as a vehicle for positive change, providing under-served youth with a toolkit to overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion, and personal success. Within the U.S. the organization has six offices; internationally, it has run programs and exchanges in 12 countries on 4 continents. SWB has been recognized for its work with a 2017 FIFA Diversity Award and the 2018 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award among others.
Their model is adaptable enough to accommodate cultural differences while still pushing for greater access and equity for girls. One key factor: having local female leaders. “You have to have a woman who is talking to the community and the parents,” says McVeigh. “Local champions who can advocate for girls are so important.”
Within the regions where they work, SWB offers academic and language development support alongside soccer skills and training for young players at all levels, getting families and communities involved and providing opportunities and resources that cross borders. Within the U.S. the focus is on newcomer refugee groups and girls. “We set out to understand how this global unifier could serve as a means of inclusion for marginalized groups,” McVeigh explains.
Internationally, maintaining a balance between local input and providing resources can be a challenge. “It’s a delicate balance,” she says. “When we work internationally, it means someone has invited us. It really is a collaboration, with both sides bringing skills to the table.”
Cultural differences can also present a barrier to participation, particularly in the developing world, where girls are often expected to care for siblings and spend hours on tasks such as laundry that most westerners take for granted. “Things like sports are seen as a luxury,” McVeigh explains. “Family involvement varies by culture. We do seek permission from parents and try to open a larger discussion if the first answer is no. Often, soccer is not seen as something that girls do.”
Domestically, the biggest issue is funding. In a disturbing trend, the cost of youth sports is soaring, and competition for facilities and staffing costs, particularly in cities with high rents, makes it very difficult to create stability. “There are more and more kids being left out of sports,” says McVeigh. “We create partnerships with schools, and work together to acquire all of the resources necessary to run the program.”
For the girls who participate, SWB is life-changing. They gain confidence, form friendships and build skills. For some, it’s the first opportunity they’ve have had to take control of their own bodies and do something athletic. “We want every kid to have a chance to feel success at every session,” says McVeigh. “We mix soccer, team building and skill building.” Off the field, SWB provides mentoring, academic tutoring, and English language learning support.
Fatuma is a case in point. She credits one of her SWB coaches for assisting her with essays and learning English. “I’ve benefitted in so many ways both academically and by creating a platform to be safe,” she says. “When you’re an English learner, it’s hard to be a perfect writer. My coach would help me edit my drafts and I would get a perfect score.”
The safety component is an indirect reference to the current cultural climate within the United States, one that is less than welcoming to immigrants. “What I mean by being safe, I’m from Somalia,” she says. “I’m a Muslim. Being surrounded by such a diverse community helped me feel safer, like I was in my own home.”
She is now studying to be a nurse and has a goal of giving back and supporting people who are in need around the world. That’s a common occurrence, according to McVeigh. “So many refugee participants come to the U.S. and take advantage of every opportunity they possibly can, and then all they want to do is give back to others who are going through a similar hardship. Fatuma is that person.”
While soccer does not inherently create such altruism, the sport lends itself to inclusion, requiring little equipment and nothing more than open space. “We’ve seen that the game has an incredible social component,” says McVeigh. “It’s accessible and that’s very powerful. There’s a reason it’s the global game.”
With the 2019 World Cup in full swing, SWB is using the opportunity to shine a light on the importance of diversity and supporting women and girls in the game. “I want us to be almost like a counter-culture to the more negative messages out there today,” says McVeigh. “Diversity enriches us and makes us better. Our participants are some of the most inspiring and resilient people I have ever met. Soccer has a unique influence in the world; it can either mirror the world as it is, or it can shape it for the better. If we can be part of shaping it to be more inclusive, that would be success.”
