Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club: Proudly supports Milwaukee community

Contact:

414.375.1150

Alvaro Garcia-Velez, Milwaukee Kickers Executive Director

alvarogv@mksc.org

Youth Soccer Club aligns “Follow The Leader.” Motto with Community Outreach Initiatives

MILWAUKEE, WI (July, 7, 2015) – The Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club (MKSC), one of the largest and most respected youth soccer organizations in the country that calls Uihlein Soccer Park home, has partnered with a number of local leaders and organizations on a variety of outreach initiatives to benefit our community.

Boys & Girls Club Partnership – Through MKSC’s partnership, America SCORES Milwaukee and the Boys & Girls Club of Milwaukee is providing nearly 200 youth from across the city the chance to play in a six week summer league that incorporates 12 different Boys & Girls Club locations from the north and the south side. The partnership allows an experiential learning opportunity for the children in which they learn from the Club’s trained coaching staff on the Club’s premier, stadium quality soccer field located at the Club’s home, Uihlein Soccer Park. Due to the field’s turf foundation and the park’s three indoor fields, the six weeks of programming exposing youth to new spaces and new faces is guaranteed rain or shine.

Earn & Learn Program – In support of Mayor Barrett’s “Earn & Learn” Summer Youth Employment Initiative created to help young people make a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood, MKSC has added five young adults who reside in Milwaukee County to its staff. For five weeks this summer, MKSC will provide opportunities for them to develop work-readiness skills and improve their workforce preparedness. They will be part of the MKSC Grounds Staff and, with staff supervision, will aid in the upkeep and maintenance of the park’s outdoor fields and indoor facility.

MKE Peace Project – Developed by Common Council President Michael J. Murphy (in collaboration with members of the Common Council), the MKE Peace Project challenged youth in the central city to come up with what they felt were the factors contributing to violence in their neighborhoods, to brainstorm and to present their solutions to those problems. Of the 180 students that participated, 12 teams of young people, based on their written entries, including two America SCORES Milwaukee program schools were recognized for their ideas. Third through fifth graders from ALBA School were recognized for their community garden project designed to engage families to create and nurture gardens together to instill pride and provide healthier food options for their area. Students of the same age range from Lincoln Avenue School were recognized for their literacy-focused project designed to educate the community that without literacy, personal growth and contributions to the community are

Hunt4Soccer – Through America SCORES’ partnership with Hunt4Soccer, the over 800 urban youth served by America SCORES Milwaukee received a new soccer ball ($10 value) at the end of 2014- 2015 program session. The soccer balls provided the underserved children with something rare, a new item instead of a used item which they were excited to receive and looked forward to playing with to improve their soccer skills.

Milwaukee County Public Park Improvements – MKSC donated an estimated $5,000 in soccer goals and equipment to Washington Park and Jackson Park to support MKSC team practices and games in two of its 16 regions (Midwest Region & South Region). Previously, the parks were without goals and the goal installation resulted in not only the ability to provide MKSC youth soccer in these areas, but to provide new and much needed play space infrastructure for the communities. In addition, MKSC donated field paint and staff hours to line soccer fields at those locations.

“MKSC is a nonprofit organization built on a foundation of not only giving youth regardless of personal circumstances the opportunity to play soccer, but a foundation to support the city we live in,” said Alvaro Garcia-Velez, MKSC Executive Director. “The Club’s community impact reaches far beyond Uihlein Soccer Park and we will continue to expand our leadership footprint, and engage with and extend our resources to our community.”

ABOUT MILWAUKEE KICKERS SOCCER CLUB
http://www.mksc.org

Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club, a nonprofit organization and unifying force in the community that calls Uihlein Soccer Park home, strives to enrich the lives of adults and youth in the Greater Milwaukee Area by providing soccer to everyone no matter their size, shape, gender, race, or socioeconomic status. The club serves nearly 6,000 youth members through recreational and select teams in 16 regions across Southeastern Wisconsin each year, and is committed to ensuring everyone can continue to play soccer while instilling a lifelong passion for the game.

ABOUT UIHLEIN SOCCER PARK
http://www.mksc.org

Milwaukee’s premier indoor/outdoor soccer complex was built in 1994 as a joint venture between the city of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club. The park’s many features include 13 outdoor soccer fields, two lighted stadium turf fields, three indoor fields surfaced in AstroPlay turf, full food and beverage facilities, locker rooms and more. Uihlein Soccer Park is a Milwaukee County Park and is located at 7101 W. Good Hope Road.