New Fields, New Opportunities for Students
At Think Together, the learning never stops after the final school bell rings, and it doesn’t always happen inside the four walls of a classroom. Sometimes learning transpires onto the soccer field, under the warm sun, with the soft grass under students’ shoes and a goal in sight.
This is what is unfolding through Think Together’s partnership with Street Soccer USA (SSUSA). It’s a meaningful collaboration that’s turning afterschool time into a space where students across Southern California can get their bodies moving and build their teamwork skills with confidence.
“The partnership with Think Together has been a great fit and alignment with what our organization is working to achieve,” said Luca Marton, Managing Director of SSUSA for Los Angeles. “A major factor in the success of an organization like Street Soccer USA is being able to offer a variety of programs across different environments. So free to play programs in the communities but also reaching so many more kids through afterschool partners like Think Together.”
Think Together and SSUSA serve 1,200 students across 30 school sites in over 4 school districts in Southern California with engaging soccer programming that creates a purposeful space for young minds to thrive.
Recently this year in April, SSUSA broadened Think Together students’ access to quality soccer programming in ways that extended far beyond weekly sessions.
That expanded access came to life in South Gate, where Think Together joined Paramount Unified School District, Visa, SSUSA, and Bank of America to celebrate the grand opening of a brand-new Visa Street Soccer Park and learning center at Hollydale Park. Students from the neighboring school, Hollydale Elementary in Paramount Unified, were invited to join the celebration and were among the first to step onto the fresh turf.
That momentum continued later that month, at Street Soccer’s LA Cup, in downtown Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE, where around 90 Think Together students from Paramount, El Rancho, Bellflower, and Bassett school districts competed in a high-energy, one-day soccer tournament. Think Together was the exclusive expanded learning partner invited by SSUSA, with winning teams receiving trophies from representatives of Borussia Dortmund, a renowned European soccer club.
“As a parent, I truly appreciate the opportunities Think Together has to offer to my child. This event at LA LIVE is so good for them to experience new things,” said a Think Together parent from Paramount Unified. “I would have never imagined that my child would ever get to play in a place like this, so I am very excited!”
At its core, the partnership between Think Together and SSUSA is about providing students with access to explore new interests and opportunities they may not otherwise experience at no cost. It also reflects the power of a meaningful, mission-driven collaboration rooted in trust and a shared commitment to doing what’s best for students across California.
Looking ahead, Street Soccer USA is preparing to take 15 Think Together students to the World Cup games this summer in Los Angeles, giving them a once-in-a-lifetime chance to serve as player mascots, escorting professional soccer players onto the field at this historic event.
As the partnership continues to grow, there are also plans to begin expanding this work into Think Together’s Northern California region, reaching even more students.
“Every time my team gets together to play, we create more chemistry and improve our communication. We pass the ball better, engage so much more and our energy just builds up,” said student Abraham, whose team played at the LA LIVE tournament. “Sports are basically what hold me together, so if I didn’t have sports, I’d probably just be at home.”
Read more about Think Together’s enrichment accelerator offerings.
