Street Soccer 945: August 2009

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Ebony Wright of Street Soccer 945 makes USA National Team for Homeless World Cup

Link the video of Ebony here:
http://www.wsoctv.com/family-spotlight/20402517/detail.html

Program Uses Sports To Turn Lives Around

Posted: 5:02 pm EDT August 14, 2009
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- To an outsider it might look like just a few friends playing around, but to 21-year-old Ebony Wright it's become like family, and a link to her future.

“I ended up on the streets because of one of my exes. I had no job, no money, and didn't have a place to go. Didn't know charlotte that well, so I got stuck out here,” she said.
Wright now lives in an abandoned apartment, but through the Urban Ministry Center she joined Street Soccer USA, a program that uses sports to end homelessness.
“Since I've joined, I have a job. I'm getting ready to get my own place. Soccer has been awesome to me. It's cool. I love it!” she exclaimed.
Wright just competed with the Charlotte team in Washington, D.C., and was the only woman selected to join the U.S. national team headed to compete in the Homeless World Cup next month in Italy.

Program director Rob Cann said for the players he's coach and counselor.

“With Ebony, she was lost and she didn't know what she was going to do. We took her love and passion for sports and we harnessed that,” he said.

“He is a big mentor for me with soccer because I'm glad, because if I didn't know him, I don't know where I would be right now,” Wright said.

Using teamwork, they build relationships and trust and then help players set goals, such as complete their education and find jobs and housing.
Wright said it's helping her win not only in soccer but in life.
“It's game time. I got to get ready for it. I got to get ready -- I am ready for it!” she said.

Wright competes in the Homeless World Cup in Milan, Italy, next month.
Street Soccer USA was founded in Charlotte and now has 15 other sites across the country.

For more, visit http://www.streetsoccerusa.org/

www.urbanministrycenter.org and www.streetsoccer945.org

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Skirt Magazine!

SKIRT MAGAZINE- AUGUST 2009
http://charlotte.skirt.com/node/56312

He's So Original
Rob Cann gets his kicks.
By Aleigh, Wednesday, July, 29, 2009 1 comments

Photo by Deborah Triplett

Rob works with Charlotte’s homeless community as the director of Street Soccer 945, Charlotte’s co-ed homeless soccer team, which was the first of its kind in the United States. Created in 2005 through the Urban Ministry Center, the program offers our local homeless population a way to build self-confidence and camaraderie, and each player has to work with Rob to develop three-, six-, and twelve-month goals.

In its first year, the team traveled abroad to compete in the Homeless World Cup, and although they lost every match, they snagged the fair play trophy—a very proud moment. Now, there are 16 programs in 16 U.S. cities, and the US Cup is held every July in Washington, D.C., with the top players going on to represent the U.S. at the Homeless World Cup.

“This is meaningful to me,” says Rob. “I know we’re on to something here. Other cities have followed Charlotte’s lead. It’s something to be proud of.”

What are your favorite things about reading skirt!? “It seems like it’s unabashedly girly, but highlights women doing great, creative, positive things in the community. And girly doesn’t mean superficial.”

And wearing a skirt? “Liberating. It felt nice.”