4 Attend July Foudy Camp

Four stellar middle school poet-athletes from America SCORES Chicago were awarded scholarships to attend The Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy that began on July 15th. The Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy is six-day soccer and leadership residential academy for girls ages 12-18. The camp’s aim is to give students the best of both worlds: they learn soccer from some of the best women's players in the world, and they are exposed to a multitude of leadership concepts they can cultivate for life.

The camp was founded with one idea in mind: How do we help give girls the tools to unlock their potential for greatness, both on the field and in life? They use soccer as the conduit, but also a lot of laughter, energy, and leadership skills training.

Coach Stacey held a private training session last week for Jamirria and Lynnitanne (Chalmers School) and Carla and Lissette (Castellanos School) to help prepare them for the amazing week ahead. Coach Stacey could sense their enthusiasm:

"They were extremely excited, looking forward to the opportunity to both improve their soccer skills (with thoughts of playing in high school on their minds), make new friends, and learn from world-class players." 

Tiara H., a SCORES participant from Chalmers School, was the sole recipient of the scholarship last summer. Here is a brief excerpt from her Soccer Camp memoir:

“…One week later, I had to get dressed for the big tournament. It was raining, but I was ready to play. I’d put too much effort into practicing. Our team won against this other team, called Japan, and continued on to win the whole tournament. I was so glad, smiling harder than a three-year-old with a cookie. We went to a ceremony and I got a medal. I had the best time ever.

There were some embarrassing times, and some great times, but what made me smile were the times that I shared with my new friends. Thomas Edison once said that you haven’t failed a thousand times, but have found a thousand ways that embarrassed you. Trust me, I have found those times.”