MCC students, grads win 'Fair Play' award in D.C. soccer tourney;
goalie named to U.S. team for Homeless World Cup in Milan, Italy
Top: Sacramento's Street Soccer USA Cup team won
the 'Fair Play' award at the annual tournament held
in Washington, D.C. July 31-Aug. 2, and placed 10th
among 16 teams. Above: Goalie Wes Colter was subsequently named to the U.S. team that will play
in the Homeless World Cup this September in Milan.
To see more photos of the team in action, click here.
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It makes for a great headline: "Soccer team composed of formerly homeless men kick bad habits on way to award podium at national tournament."
Students at Mather Community Campus, a two-year transitional housing and job-training program, are all inspiring stories unto themselves. Those who sign up are typically homeless, often recovering addicts, who have worked hard to turn their lives around.
Throw in how competitive soccer turned five of these single students into a cohesive team, and how soccer has reinforced the lessons they've learned about discipline, team work and goal-setting (no pun intended) en route to an award-winning appearance in a national tournament, and you've got yourself a bestselling book or major motion picture. Think "Rocky" with cleats.
Coached by Volunteers of America's Chris Mann, Sacramento's inaugural Street Soccer USA team – five of whom are current students or graduates of MCC – began training in November for the league's annual tournament. Held this year from July 31 to Aug. 2 in Washington, D.C., the SSUSA Cup is unique in that all of its teams are made up of homeless or formerly homeless men and women.
Though the Sacramento roster constantly changed in the months leading up to the tournament, the core group of Matt Klanjac, Scott Trend, Wesley Colter, Cris Rich, Vince Flores and John Wright – none of whom had played competitive soccer beyond childhood leagues – kept their eyes on the prize.
"They are truly pioneers in this event," said Mann, who also was the team's chief fundraiser. "They decided the best way to approach the tournament was to be unique. That being said, they believed Mohawks (haircuts) would be the best way to show camaraderie and unity. We ended up getting shaved in the parking lot of the Mather dining hall during dinner and after practice the day before our departure."
Upon their arrival in Washington, D.C., the team found its story was of great interest to local media, including ABC's WJLA. Staff members from Volunteers of America's national office, based in nearby Arlington, Va., were also onhand, shooting still photos and video, including footage of the team's match against Chicago.
"Our team was a little nervous before the game," admitted Mann, "but as is the tradition for our teams at Mather Community Campus, we circled up before competition to talk about our main focus of showing – through our spirit and attitude and energy – why we were there and that by being there, showing others there is a solution to homelessness."
Ultimately, the team finished 10th among the 16 teams competing, and earned the prestigious Ray Bernabei Fair Play Award.
Honors and medals aside, the team experienced special moments throughout its trip to our nation's capital.
"The one memory that sticks out the most happened while we were resting after the Chicago game," said Klanjac. "The team from St. Louis approached us and presented us with their city’s flag. They told us that, each year, they presented the team that they wished most to emulate with their flag, and we were honored to be that team this year.
"This was the trip of a lifetime."
The trip was, perhaps, most impactful to goalie Wes Colter, who was nominated to participate on the U.S. team that will compete in the Homeless World Cup Sept. 6 through 13 in Milan, Italy. (Click here to read the press release.)
"He was one of our top choices," said Lawrence Cann, founder and CEO of Street Soccer USA, said of Colter. "He'll serve as a great ambassador for people who struggle with homelessness and poverty. We were pleased that Wes could make it."
"This is the biggest thing I've ever been a part of," said an ecstatic Colter, who says he didn't think he'd be picked for the national team, but admitted to hoping he would.
"It wasn't surprising they picked Wes," said Mann. "He has great character and is a great goalkeeper."
Colter, who departs Sept. 1 for a New York-based pre-Homeless Cup training session, is the only Sacramento player named to the U.S. team. His seven teammates include men from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York. The U.S. contingent's lone female player hails from Charlotte, N.C.
"I'm excited about integrating the athletic component in support of solving the problem of homelessness," said Cann. "It can help with their path to recovery, whether it's substance abuse or trauma recovery. And the Homeless World Cup puts the work of these players on a platform."