Manchester United Visit TVB Park in The Bronx

August 9th, 2023,The Bronx, New York– Principal Luis Torres posted a video on his Tik Tok of Wes Brown, the Manchester United legend, making an “X” with his forearms to acknowledge the Bronx community which welcomed him so warmly. The kids watch the video again and again. It’s been two weeks since the world famous Reds visited Street Soccer USA’s Teddy van Beuren Park in the Bronx–our own version of MUFC’s Theatre of Dreams. Maybe it is the time and thoughtfulness of Brown and the Manchester United Foundation team touring the school and park. Maybe it is the iconic “X’ Brown displayed in Torres’ video. Whatever the reason, the memory hasn’t faded. “See,” Torres tells his students, “Wes is one of us”

SEE MAN UTD’s VISIT TO TEDDY VAN BEUREN PARK AT C.S. 55 IN THE BRONX

“Each of you think back right now on what got you here. Your dedication to soccer, helping out, helping others, each little commitment and decisions that lead you here—that story is a difference maker for you. It tells why you are a difference maker yourself, and that’s what the world needs, difference makers, more than ever,” John Sheils, Manchester United Foundation President impressed his message on our youth after they toured the New York Stock Exchange and helped ring the closing bell with Manchester United COO Collete Roche. Haroune, who is studying Mechanical Engineering next Fall in college, has been with Street Soccer since he was 12 years old, “I never would have known this existed like this. I couldn’t have imagined it if we hadn’t actually come to see it and ring the bell.”

SEE STREET SOCCER USA WITH MAN UTD AT NYSE

Meanwhile in New Jersey, Street Soccer USA staff accompanied kids and families to the Pingry School, where they watched the likes of Bruno Fernadez, Licha Martinez, and Marcus Rashford–who did an interview to help Street Soccer USA through Pandemic, accepting our Sport For Social Change Award in 2021. While our older, long time Street Soccer players went to the NYSE, we chose to bring many new youth who found their way to Street Soccer after arriving in New York this year as migrant families. Their journeys began in Columbia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. They were lost in many ways, but their passion for soccer helped them find us on their own, starting with or two, followed by scores upon dozens. One such youth, Alvaro, when he received goalkeeper gloves from Man United’s Dean Henderson, said simply, “I’m going to train every day with these. Always with these gloves.”

The origin story of the whole collaboration began when Street Soccer Board Member Yoram Arievan connected with an old colleague, now at Manchester United, Corrina Freedman. They connected John Shiels to Lawrence Cann, founder of Street Soccer USA. After that, it was all about the kids. In addition to a generous $5,000 from Manchester United Foundation, the memory of the Street Reds visit to the Big Apple lives on through a partnership brokered with Man United’s New York Based Supporters group, New York Reds. They will be auctioning off a singed Jersey by the team to benefit Street Soccer USA - NYC and hosting other collaborations in the months and years to come.