United Soccer Club kicks off Spring Season

WASHINGTON, DC (April 7, 2010) - D.C. United and its non-profit arm, United for D.C., today announced the spring session kickoff of United Soccer Club. Through its partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation and sponsored by The Century Council and Volkswagen, the spring session will see an expansion to two new sites. United for D.C. and the U.S. Soccer Foundation work together to support their missions to promote youth soccer in economically disadvantaged urban communities.  

The 2010 expansion will introduce two new sites in the spring: Friendship Charter School in Ward 8 of Washington, D.C., and the Fishing School at J.O. Wilson Elementary School in Ward 6 - all while continuing in the existing sites of Barry Farm Recreation Center, Ketcham Elementary School, Orr Elementary School and FBR THEARC in Ward 8, Turkey Thicket Recreation Center in Ward 5, Harrison Recreation Center and Parkview Recreation Centerin Ward 1, Richard England Clubhouse #14 in Ward 7, Longbranch Community Center in Montgomery, Md, and Walter Reed Community Center in Arlington, Va.

United Soccer Club was born from a request in Ward 8 for opportunities for children to play organized soccer. In the spring of 2006, United for D.C. launched its own after school soccer program, in partnership with D.C. Parks and Recreation at Barry Farm Recreation Center. The program ran for eight weeks, teaching fundamental skills and hosting games and scrimmages.  This year the program has formally added a healthy lifestyles curriculum in partnership with "Soccer Kids of America".  

United Soccer Club is one of the many community outreach ventures of United for D.C.  Through the Kicks for Kids program, thousands of underprivileged children will have an opportunity to watch United play this season alone. United Reads, currently presented in six DC elementary schools, distributed nearly 8,000 books during player visits to classrooms throughout the spring.

For more information on these programs or how fans can contribute time or money to these worthy causes, please contact United for D.C. at 202-587-5000.