Kick’N Back

If you were to go into your garage or “mud room” right now, how many soccer cleats do you think you would find? One pair? Three? Maybe even five? How often have those cleats seen the green of a soccer pitch in the last year?

Being involved in soccer over the past 30 years, I have accumulated a lot of soccer cleats. I can’t tell you how many soccer jerseys/t shirts I had in drawers or in my closet. Soccer balls were collecting dust in the corners of my shed, and under the stairs.

On my first mission trip to Brazil 5 years ago, I saw how many kids there LOVED the sport of soccer, and how few of them actually had a pair of soccer shoes or even a good ball to kick around.

When I returned to the states, and started working with soccer outreach in the inner city, I noticed that there were many kids even here in Knoxville that didn’t have the proper equipment, either.

The Kick’n Back Foundation works to solve that problem. Working with local high schools, soccer stores, and individuals, we provide gently used soccer gear to players both locally and internationally. We have sent soccer gear to Haiti, soccer balls and jerseys to Brazil, and provided numerous shoes for the refugee community here in Knoxville working with the Knox Kicks. To date, we have recycled over 200 pairs of soccer cleats over the past 2 years.

If you would like to donate some soccer gear, or get more involved in this organization, please contact me at the address below.

So go through your closets, garages, and sheds, and outfit these players to be able to play the game that we all love!

 

Knoxville Force & Emerald Youth Foundation

Inner City Soccer Outreach Program

March 7, 2012

The Knoxville Force has paired with several other organizations to work with an inner city soccer outreach program. Initially started by the Emerald Youth Foundation, Tom Gerlach (Director of Community Outreach) has brought Christian Academy of Knoxville Students to begin a Sports Ministry Leadership Training program that not only reaches the youth of down town Knoxville, but also trains the high school and middle school students in becoming sports leaders and mentors.

Using curriculum developed by the Chicago Eagles Academy program, the teens volunteer 2 nights a week (Tuesday and Thursday nights) to come to the Emerald Youth Gymnasium and train the Knoxville youth in a 6 week soccer “academy”. Along with basic soccer skills, games, and scrimmages, the EYF kids are also learning the life skills that will help them in becoming leaders themselves. While Tom Gerlach and the EYF staff help organize the schedule and activities, the actual running of the camp is done entirely by the high school and middle school students.

Currently there are about 40 youths from down town Knoxville that are attending the twice a week sessions, with approximately 25 teen volunteers.

“I believe the program to be a huge success so far”, says Tom Gerlach, Force outreach Director and former CAK soccer coach. “The EYF kids are improving their soccer skills, and having so much fun doing it, but the most incredible part is the influence that the older teens are having on the Youth Program players! To have such a positive impact these days, speaking into their lives, is something that is sadly lacking but so important.”

Kent Stanger, EYF Citywide Programs Director – “It has been incredible watching kids teaching kids. I can’t say enough about the energy and enthusiasm of the CAK student leaders. They have really poured themselves into this effort and I’m certain the young kids won’t forget it.”

The six week program started this year in January and will be finished in mid March. If you would like more information about the program, or if you have any questions, please contact Tom Gerlach at TGerlach@knoxvilleforce.com

Director of Community Outreach

Please email our Director of Community Outreach, Tom Gerlach (tgerlach@knoxvilleforce.com) with any questions.