Cemented partnership between Play Where You Stay and the Kroc Center creates opportunities for soccer development. Collaboration can create magic when two organizations share a mission but have unique strengths. That’s the case for our partnership with the Salvation Army Kroc Center, where we hosted practices and Game Days for our K-5 players throughout the spring semester. Located near the intersection of North Parkway and Central Avenue, the Kroc Center is positioned near the center of Memphis, providing easy access to families traveling to play from community fields across the city. It worked tremendously well, so we’ve forged a three-year partnership to support access to quality soccer programming for thousands of Memphis players. We spoke with our partner at the Kroc Center, Patrick Cephus, to share the story of playing together at the Kroc.  Expanding its sports roster As the Kroc’s recreation coordinator, Patrick is on the pulse of high-quality youth athletics programming. His staff and professional volunteers provide meaningful instruction for sports ranging from football to basketball and volleyball. But because of our city’s sports history and talent base, finding athletic and invested coaches with deep knowledge of soccer fundamentals and training was tough. That’s when he met us

Nestled in the Heights community between Treadwell Elementary and Middle Schools and the surrounding neighborhood sits a large park. It boasts ample green space with designated sports fields and space for community gatherings. There was also a large unstructured blacktop, primarily used by the schools, with the potential for organized and organic play. But it needed refinement to become a meaningful place for games and activities. Recognizing this opportunity for investment in play led us to partner with the Heights CDC,  Memphis Shelby County Schools, love.fútbol, Project Backboard, ESPN and Nike to create a beautiful set of sports courts that will be used for generations to come. In late 2023, the organizations gathered to create a blacktop plan. With investment from Nike and ESPN, they would refinish the surface and commission an artist to design two locally relevant sports-court murals. The basketball court would feature warm, inviting colors and the school’s mascot. They would also add a futsal court, creating opportunities to learn a court-based, soccer-adjacent game. Volunteers from the neighborhood would then use the remaining blacktop space to paint playground and recess games like hopscotch and foursquare, creating outdoor places for kids and families to get active and build

Street Soccer USA Announces Affiliate Partnership with Play Where You Stay – Memphis  To Send Spanish Professional Player and Coach, Jesús “Jesule” Barbadilla to Serve as PWYS Technical Director in Residence for 2 months Memphis, TN – Street Soccer USA (SSUSA), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to using soccer as a tool for social change, is thrilled to announce today its official affiliate partnership with Play Where Your Stay (PWYS), a Memphis initiative focused on providing soccer programs to underserved youth in Memphis. The partnership aims to strengthen PWYS’s efforts to fight poverty and strengthen community through top quality soccer programs. The collaboration between SSUSA and PWYS began when former U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper, Tim Howard, asked SSUSA to explore the possibility of developing street soccer programs in Memphis. SSUSA’s founder, Lawrence Cann, quickly identified the standout work already taking place at PWYS.  PWYS’s founders, Ellen Roberds and Jarad Bingham  saw the value in bringing increased resources and expertise to their already successful player development and competitive programs. SSUSA-PWYS’ collaboration immediately impacted the lives of Marlene Casas Reyes, Brenda Gonzalez, and Yessica Munoz, women in PWYS’s competitive program. SSUSA selected them as part of its United States National team which

Soccer, also known as football, is the world's most popular sport and has a long history of fostering teamwork, discipline, and physical fitness. Despite its global popularity, soccer has yet to gain the same level of popularity in the United States. However, there are many reasons why it is important to increase the participation of children in soccer in the United States. Soccer is an excellent form of exercise and can help children develop physical fitness and coordination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children should engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Soccer provides an enjoyable way for children to meet this recommendation and promote a healthy lifestyle. Soccer is an excellent form of exercise for children as it involves a wide range of physical movements, including running, sprinting, jumping, and changing direction, which can help to improve cardiovascular fitness, coordination, and overall physical fitness. Additionally, soccer is a team sport, which can help to promote teamwork, social interaction, and a sense of community. Furthermore, it is widely played and enjoyed all over the world, making it easy for children to find opportunities to play and enjoy the

PWYS UPDATE Our 2nd Fall Season starts in two weeks! Check all the details below and save your spot! We are excited to announce our 2nd 3v3 Fall Season for players ages 5-11! This 4-week season will start on October 18th and will end on November 13th. Practices will be Monday - Thursday from 4:30 PM - 5:15 PM. We will have two Game Days on Saturday mornings throughout the season. You can sign up for any of the six parks/fields: - Klondike Park (1235 Brown Ave, Memphis, TN 38107) - Gaston Park (1046 S 3rd St, Memphis, TN 38106) - 2nd Baptist Church (4680 Walnut Grove Rd, Memphis, TN 38117) *4:15 PM - 5:00 PM - Chandler Park (1037 Cummings St, Memphis, TN 38106) - For The Kingdom (4100 Raleigh Millington Rd, Memphis, TN 38128) - Gaisman Park (4223 Macon Rd, Memphis, TN 38122) Sign up at www.playwhereyoustay.org/sign-up. We have a suggested fee of $10 per week to help cover our coaching costs but no one who can’t pay will be turned away! If you have any additional questions, please call/text (901)864-2800 or email learn@playwhereyoustay.org Sign up here! Your donations support our coaches! If you wish to donate to Play Where You Stay and help us cover coaching

PWYS UPDATE Our 1st Fall Season will start on September 7th! Check all the details below and save your spot! We are excited to announce our 1st 3v3 Fall Season for players ages 5-11! This 4-week season will start on September 7th and will end on October 2nd. Practices will be Monday - Thursday from 4:30 PM - 5:15 PM. We will have two Game Days on Saturday mornings (September 18th and October 2nd) and the locations will be announced throughout the season. You can sign up for any of the six parks/fields: - Klondike Park (1235 Brown Ave, Memphis, TN 38107) - Gaston Park (1046 S 3rd St, Memphis, TN 38106) - 2nd Baptist Church (4680 Walnut Grove Rd, Memphis, TN 38117) - Chandler Park (1037 Cummings St, Memphis, TN 38106) - For The Kingdom (4100 Raleigh Millington Rd, Memphis, TN 38128) - Gaisman Park (4223 Macon Rd, Memphis, TN 38122) Sign up at www.playwhereyoustay.org/sign-up. We have a suggested fee of $10 per week to help cover our coaching costs but no one who can’t pay will be turned away! If you have any additional questions, please call/text (901)864-2800 or email learn@playwhereyoustay.org Sign up here!   PWYS UPDATE ¡Nuestra temporada de

PWYS UPDATE Registration for our 1st Fall Season is now open! Check all the details below and save your spot! We are excited to announce our 1st 3v3 Fall Season for players ages 5-11! This 4-week season will start on September 7th and will end on October 2nd. Practices will be Monday - Thursday from 4:30 PM - 5:15 PM. We will have two Game Days on Saturday mornings (September 18th and October 2nd) and the locations will be announced throughout the season. You can sign up for any of the six parks/fields: - Klondike Park (1235 Brown Ave, Memphis, TN 38107) - Gaston Park (1046 S 3rd St, Memphis, TN 38106) - 2nd Baptist Church (4680 Walnut Grove Rd, Memphis, TN 38117) - Chandler Park (1037 Cummings St, Memphis, TN 38106) - For The Kingdom (4100 Raleigh Millington Rd, Memphis, TN 38128) - Gaisman Park (4223 Macon Rd, Memphis, TN 38122) Sign up at www.playwhereyoustay.org/sign-up. We have a suggested fee of $10 per week to help cover our coaching costs but no one who can’t pay will be turned away! If you have any additional questions, please call/text (901)864-2800 or email learn@playwhereyoustay.org Sign up here! Your donations support our coaches! If you wish

PWYS UPDATE Registration for our 1st Fall Season is now open! Check all the details below and save your spot! We are excited to announce our 1st 3v3 Fall Season for players ages 5-11! This 4-week season will start on September 7th and will end on October 2nd. Practices will be Monday - Thursday from 4:30 PM - 5:15 PM. We will have two Game Days on Saturday mornings (September 18th and October 2nd) and the locations will be announced throughout the season. You can sign up for any of the six parks/fields: - Klondike Park (1235 Brown Ave, Memphis, TN 38107) - Gaston Park (1046 S 3rd St, Memphis, TN 38106) - 2nd Baptist Church (4680 Walnut Grove Rd, Memphis, TN 38117) - Chandler Park (1037 Cummings St, Memphis, TN 38106) - For The Kingdom (4100 Raleigh Millington Rd, Memphis, TN 38128) - Gaisman Park (4223 Macon Rd, Memphis, TN 38122) Sign up at www.playwhereyoustay.org/sign-up. We have a suggested fee of $10 per week to help cover our coaching costs but no one who can’t pay will be turned away! If you have any additional questions, please call/text (901)864-2800 or email learn@playwhereyoustay.org Sign up here! Your donations support our coaches! If you wish

PWYS UPDATE Registration for our 1st Fall Season is now open! Check all the details below and save your spot! We are excited to announce our 1st 3v3 Fall Season for players ages 5-11! This 4-week season will start on September 7th and will end on October 2nd. Practices will be Monday - Thursday from 4:30 PM - 5:15 PM. We will have two Game Days on Saturday mornings (September 18th and October 2nd) and the locations will be announced throughout the season. You can sign up for any of the six parks/fields: - Klondike Park (1235 Brown Ave, Memphis, TN 38107) - Gaston Park (1046 S 3rd St, Memphis, TN 38106) - 2nd Baptist Church (4680 Walnut Grove Rd, Memphis, TN 38117) - Chandler Park (1037 Cummings St, Memphis, TN 38106) - For The Kingdom (4100 Raleigh Millington Rd, Memphis, TN 38128) - Gaisman Park (4223 Macon Rd, Memphis, TN 38122) Sign up at www.playwhereyoustay.org/sign-up. We have a suggested fee of $10 per week to help cover our coaching costs but no one who can’t pay will be turned away! If you have any additional questions, please call/text (901)864-2800 or email learn@playwhereyoustay.org Sign up here! Your donations support our coaches! If you wish

PYP SUMMER CAMP UPDATE The last two weeks at Glenview, Gaston, Hickory Hill, Brentwood, and Wilson Parks were a lot of fun! Check out where we will be for the next two weeks with Play Your Park! This Summer, we are offering soccer sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at different parks around the city of Memphis in a partnership with Play Your Park (City of Memphis Division of Parks and Neighborhoods). Week 3 and 4 of Play Your Park's Summer Camp City of Memphis Division of Parks and Neighborhoods were a blast! We brought soccer to Glenview, Hickory Hill, and Gaston Community Centers on Tuesday and Brentwood, Gaston, and Wilson Parks on Wednesday! Next week, we will be at Bert Ferguson, Raleigh, and Dave Wells Community Centers on Tuesday and Elizabeth Malone, Fletcher Creek, and Raleigh Bartlett Meadows on Wednesday from 10 am to 11 am. All players from ages 5-11 are welcome to come! Our coaches will be waiting for you at the parks! REGISTRATION FOR OUR 1ST FALL 2021’ SEASON FOR PLAYERS AGES 5-11 WILL OPEN ON AUGUST 1ST! PRACTICES WILL START ON SEPTEMBER 7TH! Our 1st Fall 2021' Season is coming up soon! All field locations will