This month we interview Soren Smogard-Ayers from Street Soccer Twin Cities in Minneapolis, MN. When most people think of Minnesotans the image that probably comes to mind is that of hearty, nordic midwesterners who love their hockey and are passionate about the Minnesota Vikings. All true, but today there are new faces emerging in Minneapolis. These faces are black and brown; young and hopeful. They are refugees, immigrants and “DREAMers” who, like generations before them, escaped civil wars, persecution and other hardships for a new beginning and new life in America. They fled their homes continents away and found themselves in an entirely different climate and culture in Minneapolis. It is also where they found Street Soccer USA Twin Cities Directors Soren Smogard-Ayers and Hani Haybe, and the chance to play and work for a better future for themselves.
How did you become involved with Street Soccer?
I work at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and am pursuing my degree in Social Work. I met Hani two years ago and was immediately drawn by her passion and dedication in helping underserved communities. She spent a great deal of time meeting with and earning the trust of the families from the Somali, East African and Latino communities in Minneapolis. Now Hani and I run the Street Soccer Twin Cities USA program entirely.
Who are the participants of the Street Soccer program in Minneapolis?
Our participants range in age from 5 to 22 years old. The majority of them are refugees from Somalia and East Africa, but we also have many Latino kids. Overall it is a very diverse group of participants from all backgrounds and ethnicities. Our program has grown tremendously in the past couple of years. We have an average of over 100 kids participating at practice regularly. During our last tournament, we had 24 teams and over 250 participants, including youth and young adults.
Are there challenges in trying to manage the mixture of cultures that come together in your program?
All of our participants are very passionate about the sport and eager to play. I would say one of the biggest challenges is the language and cultural barrier. Sometimes we see kids who are not completely comfortable interacting with others who are not from the communities they are familiar with. But we create a safe space where all our players can learn and grow together by constantly reinforcing the concept of unity. We emphasize that our program is not about where they are from or what languages they speak, but about developing skills and growing together. I am very happy to say that our players respond very well. Their mutual love for the game of soccer brings them together and helps them become more confident and respectful of others.
We also want to make sure our players do not fall behind in school. We check their report cards to make sure they are attending schools regularly and doing well. We also work with the public schools in Minneapolis to provide after school tutoring once to twice a month for our players.
What are some of your most rewarding experiences working at Street Soccer USA?
A lot of our refugee players have undergone traumatic experiences: fleeing their home country because of war; living in refugee camps; and coming to a new country. It is amazing to see the perseverance and great strength some of our players show at such a young age. One of our players, Zaynab Abdi, came to the United States from Yemen less than two years ago alone. During the past two years, she not only learned English, but also graduated from High School achieving a 4.0 grade point average. Zaynab played for the Street Soccer Twin Cities USA women’s team, and at the Philadelphia Cup last May. Zaynab is just one example of the many great stories we have of Street Soccer USA players achieving important life milestones and while overcoming adversity.
What are some of your goals for 2017?
Because the tremendous growth of our program and the increasing number of players we have, we hope to acquire more space and continue building structures to our program in this year. We are also excited to bring our players to the Street Soccer USA National Cup again this year. Our team of 13 won the second place in the Philadelphia Cup last May, and won both men’s and women’s Social Change Cup in San Francisco. We are thankful that we have the privilege of inspiring hope and improving people’s lives as the Street Soccer Twin Cities USA program in Minnesota.