Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia unveils their new soccer program with the help of Elizabeth River Crossings
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Tyrell Scott, Media & Marketing Coordinator
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Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia unveils their new soccer program with the help of Elizabeth River Crossings
Portsmouth, VA – Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia celebrated the start of its inaugural soccer program through the support of Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) and their generous sponsorship of $20,000. On Thursday, June. 20, 2024, a grand unveiling of the soccer field and league was held at our Atlantic Bay Portsmouth Club.
As the sole sponsor, ERC’s funding allowed the club to transform a vacant field behind our building into a soccer field. Through ERC’s contribution, the club was able to acquire lighting, bleachers, uniforms, goals, balls, field paint, shin guards, fence padding, and variety of other costs necessary to run the program. "At Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia, it's not about wins and losses, but about learning life lessons," said Kevin Will, President & CEO. “Thanks to Elizabeth River Crossings we can provide many more life lessons for generations to come.”
“As a European I have always loved the sport of soccer and its ability to connect people globally. The health and vitality of the youth in Portsmouth is something that we as a company care deeply about. We hope they have the best summer here, learning something new together,” said Anna Bonet, CEO of Elizabeth River Crossings.
“We are happy to start a new sport other than our typical football and basketball Leagues. The kids are excited and love their uniforms,” said Maurice Nelson, Club Director at Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia’s Portsmouth Club. “It amazes me that all of this became reality from just a small conversation during a Club tour with Elizabeth River Crossings.”
This grand unveiling kicked off our soccer league that will include our 8 other Boys & Girls Club locations. We plan to introduce this league to help Club members that may not have been exposed to soccer to get a chance to fall in love with the sport. Club members will have practice and then meet at Portsmouth location to have weekly exhibition games.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia (bgcseva.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, the organization serves 7 cities throughout Southampton Roads and provides services to nearly 2,000 youth organization-wide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs daily during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. More than 4,700 Clubs serve 4.6 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and Twitter.
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