Philadelphia Community Empowerment Through Soccer

PCETS BELIEVES IN COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT THROUGH SOCCER. OUR MISSION IS TO WORK WITH KENSINGTON AREA YOUTH AND FAMILIES TO PROVIDE POSITIVE, HEALTHY, AND ENJOYABLE YOUTH SOCCER ACTIVITIES WHILE BUILDING TEAMWORK, LEADERSHIP, AND COMMUNITY. WE STRIVE TO ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING- PROVIDE A SAFE, WELCOMING SETTING WHERE LARGE NUMBERS OF LOW-INCOME CHILDREN CAN LEARN SOCCER, THE VALUE OF EXERCISE, TEAMWORK AND THE VALUE OF WORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS; FOSTER COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN WHO WANT TO PLAY SOCCER AT A HIGHER LEVEL AND HAVE COMMITTED TO WORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL; CONNECT LOW-INCOME PLAYERS AND PARENTS TO SERVICES AND OPPORTUNITIES THEY MAY NOT BE AWARE OF OR ACCESS TO; HOLD EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING DISTRIBUTING BOOKS TO CHILDREN IN THE PROGRAM.

FALL AND SPRING RECREATIONAL SOCCER PROGRAMS WHICH INTRODUCE CHILDREN TO SOCCER TO GET THEM EXCITED ABOUT PLAYING THE GAME. THE PROGRAM ALSO HAS AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT WHICH EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE AND NUTRITION. AN EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON TEAMWORK AND COOPERATION AS WELL AS INFORMAL MENTORING OF ANY CHILDREN THAT STRUGGLE IN THE PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAMS SERVES CHILDREN AGES 3 TO 14. OUR PROGRAM WORKS ON A "PAY WHAT YOU CAN" BASIS AND WE DO NOT TURN ANYONE AWAY DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS. COSTS ARE KEPT AS LOW AS POSSIBLE THROUGH GRANTS AND INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS THAT ALLOW US TO ASK LESS OF PARTICIPANT FAMILIES. MANY OF OUR COACHES ARE YOUNG ADULTS WHO GRADUATED THROUGH OUR PROGRAM IN PREVIOUS YEARS. THESE COACHES USE THEIR PAY TO SUBSIDIZE THEIR COLLEGE EDUCATION AND OTHER POST-SECONDARY PLANS. THESE COACHES SERVE AS ROLE MODELS FOR THE YOUNGER CHILDREN. OTHER COACHES ARE TEENS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM IN THE PAST; THROUGH COACHING, THESE COACHES LEARN RESPONSIBILITY AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS. OTHER COACHES ARE PARENTS OF CHILDREN IN THE PROGRAMS WHO BRING THEIR PERSPECTIVE AS PARENTS TO THE CLUB WHILE CREATING STRONG BONDING OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR CHILDREN. THE RECREATIONAL PROGRAM ALSO GIVES CHILDREN A CHANCE TO JOIN COMPETITIVE SOCCER TEAMS IF THEY WANT TO COMMIT TO LEARNING AND PLAYING AT A HIGHER LEVEL. MANY CHILDREN FROM THIS PROGRAM END UP JOINING COMPETITIVE TEAMS.

OUR COMPETITIVE SOCCER PROGRAM IS OFFERED AT A VERY LOW OR NO COST TO CHILDREN IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS. COMPETITIVE SOCCER GIVES CHILDREN A CHANCE TO PLAY AT A HIGHER SKILL LEVEL. THE COST OF MOST COMPETITIVE SOCCER PROGRAMS IS COST PROHIBITIVE FOR LOW-INCOME CHILDREN. WE SUBSIDIZE THE COST OF THE TEAMS, ASKING FAR LESS FROM FAMILIES THAN THE COST OF THE COMPETITIVE PROGRAMS SO MONEY IS NOT A BARRIER TO PARTICIPATION. COMPETITIVE SOCCER GIVES CHILDREN A CHANCE TO LEARN AND PRACTICE TEAMWORK, LEARN HIGHER LEVEL SOCCER SKILLS, AND SET AND ACHIEVE CHALLENGING GOALS FOR THEMSELVES. MANY PLAYERS GO ON TO PLAY COMPETITIVE SOCCER FOR YEARS AND MANY END UP COACHING WITH KENSINGTON SOCCER CLUB WHEN THEY BECOME TEENS. WE AVERAGE ABOUT 200 PLAYERS ON COMPETITIVE TEAMS ANNUALLY, MANY PLAYING FOR MORE THAN ONE SEASON.

OUR SUMMER WORK READY PROGRAM IS A SIX-WEEK PROGRAM THAT TRAINS TEENS AS COACHES THEN BRINGS THEM TO RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY SUMMER CAMPS WHERE THEY TEACH SOCCER TO YOUNG CHILDREN. THE COACHES GET A SIZEABLE STIPEND FROM THE CITY AND THE SUMMER CAMP CHILDREN GET A CHANCE TO EXERCISE AND LEARN SOCCER. THE TEEN COACHES LEARN LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND SERVE AS ROLE MODELS FOR THE CHILDREN THEY ARE TEACHING. IN ADDITION, ONE DAY A WEEK IS SET ASIDE FOR TRAINING FOR THE TEEN COACHES IN A VARIETY OF AREAS. WE AVERAGE 15 TEEN COACHES ANNUALLY AND BRING SOCCER TO ABOUT 300 CHILDREN IN SUMMER CAMPS.

FALL AND SPRING RECREATIONAL SOCCER PROGRAMS WHICH INTRODUCE CHILDREN TO SOCCER TO GET THEM EXCITED ABOUT PLAYING THE GAME. THE PROGRAM ALSO HAS AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT WHICH EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE AND NUTRITION. AN EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON TEAMWORK AND COOPERATION AS WELL AS INFORMAL MENTORING OF ANY CHILDREN THAT STRUGGLE IN THE PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAMS SERVES CHILDREN AGES 3 TO 14. OUR PROGRAM WORKS ON A "PAY WHAT YOU CAN" BASIS AND WE DO NOT TURN ANYONE AWAY DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS. COSTS ARE KEPT AS LOW AS POSSIBLE THROUGH GRANTS AND INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS THAT ALLOW US TO ASK LESS OF PARTICIPANT FAMILIES. MANY OF OUR COACHES ARE YOUNG ADULTS WHO GRADUATED THROUGH OUR PROGRAM IN PREVIOUS YEARS. THESE COACHES USE THEIR PAY TO SUBSIDIZE THEIR COLLEGE EDUCATION AND OTHER POST-SECONDARY PLANS. THESE COACHES SERVE AS ROLE MODELS FOR THE YOUNGER CHILDREN. OTHER COACHES ARE TEENS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM IN THE PAST; THROUGH COACHING, THESE COACHES LEARN RESPONSIBILITY AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS. OTHER COACHES ARE PARENTS OF CHILDREN IN THE PROGRAMS WHO BRING THEIR PERSPECTIVE AS PARENTS TO THE CLUB WHILE CREATING STRONG BONDING OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR CHILDREN. THE RECREATIONAL PROGRAM ALSO GIVES CHILDREN A CHANCE TO JOIN COMPETITIVE SOCCER TEAMS IF THEY WANT TO COMMIT TO LEARNING AND PLAYING AT A HIGHER LEVEL. MANY CHILDREN FROM THIS PROGRAM END UP JOINING COMPETITIVE TEAMS.

OUR COMPETITIVE SOCCER PROGRAM IS OFFERED AT A VERY LOW OR NO COST TO CHILDREN IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS. COMPETITIVE SOCCER GIVES CHILDREN A CHANCE TO PLAY AT A HIGHER SKILL LEVEL. THE COST OF MOST COMPETITIVE SOCCER PROGRAMS IS COST PROHIBITIVE FOR LOW-INCOME CHILDREN. WE SUBSIDIZE THE COST OF THE TEAMS, ASKING FAR LESS FROM FAMILIES THAN THE COST OF THE COMPETITIVE PROGRAMS SO MONEY IS NOT A BARRIER TO PARTICIPATION. COMPETITIVE SOCCER GIVES CHILDREN A CHANCE TO LEARN AND PRACTICE TEAMWORK, LEARN HIGHER LEVEL SOCCER SKILLS, AND SET AND ACHIEVE CHALLENGING GOALS FOR THEMSELVES. MANY PLAYERS GO ON TO PLAY COMPETITIVE SOCCER FOR YEARS AND MANY END UP COACHING WITH KENSINGTON SOCCER CLUB WHEN THEY BECOME TEENS. WE AVERAGE ABOUT 200 PLAYERS ON COMPETITIVE TEAMS ANNUALLY, MANY PLAYING FOR MORE THAN ONE SEASON.

OUR SUMMER WORK READY PROGRAM IS A SIX-WEEK PROGRAM THAT TRAINS TEENS AS COACHES THEN BRINGS THEM TO RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY SUMMER CAMPS WHERE THEY TEACH SOCCER TO YOUNG CHILDREN. THE COACHES GET A SIZEABLE STIPEND FROM THE CITY AND THE SUMMER CAMP CHILDREN GET A CHANCE TO EXERCISE AND LEARN SOCCER. THE TEEN COACHES LEARN LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND SERVE AS ROLE MODELS FOR THE CHILDREN THEY ARE TEACHING. IN ADDITION, ONE DAY A WEEK IS SET ASIDE FOR TRAINING FOR THE TEEN COACHES IN A VARIETY OF AREAS. WE AVERAGE 15 TEEN COACHES ANNUALLY AND BRING SOCCER TO ABOUT 300 CHILDREN IN SUMMER CAMPS.