Released on = August 31, 2007, 12:34 pm

Press Release Author = America SCORES

Industry = Non Profit

Press Release Summary = Children of All Ages Can SCORE With Eight Great Tips for
National Youth Soccer Month - No Field Required!

Press Release Body = September 1, 2007 heralds the fifth annual "Youth Soccer Month
- Celebrating Soccer in America," a national celebration of the many joys, rewards,
and benefits of playing soccer. As the nation's largest non-profit that uses
soccer to promote literacy and healthy lifestyles among students in low-income urban
communities, America SCORES knows that not everyone has a green field with a soccer
goal on it at their disposal. But that doesn't mean they can't enjoy a great game
with a soccer ball!

America SCORES encourages kids, their friends, and families to enjoy the excitement
and fun of soccer wherever they are - in a park, at the playground, on a blacktop,
or in a gym. The following eight tips will get you started - and there's no telling
what amazing games you could create on your own!

About America SCORES
America SCORES is a national model for youth development, targeting girls and boys
in urban neighborhoods that offer few, if any, recreational programs. America
SCORES programs operate in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Los
Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, New York, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis and
Washington, DC. For more information, or to volunteer, visit www.AmericaSCORES.org.


For more information about Youth Soccer Month visit www.YouthSoccerMonth.org.


###


Eight Great Tips for National Youth Soccer Month!

America SCORES presents eight different ways to have fun at the playground, the gym,
or the park with a soccer ball. You don't need a full grass field - almost anything
will do!

1. Soccer Golf OUTDOORS - Like regular golf, you try to get the ball to hit a
certain spot in a predetermined number of tries. The best part is that YOU decide
what the targets are, and how many tries it will take for each person to get there.
Use non-breakable items like a tree, the slide, maybe even getting it through an
empty swing!

2. Soccer Golf in a GYM - place different targets around the gym or space that you
are using; these can be cones, painter's tape on walls, garbage cans, bleachers,
etc. Have each player find a partner. Then take turns to see how many passes it
takes to hit the "hole" or target which you have set up on the course.

3. 1-8 Obstacle Course on a BLACKTOP - with sidewalk chalk on asphalt/cement or
paper plates on grass, randomly place numbers 1 through 8 in a 10x10 yard grid. Run
through the course reaching over and touching every number. Next, you can run
backwards, hop, dribble, or go in pairs. Create as many courses as you have space
for! You can use letters instead of numbers and try to spell words or your name for
fun too.

4. Soccer BASEBALL - A mix of baseball, kickball, and soccer, this game doesn't
allow ANYONE to use their hands. The pitcher passes the ball to the batter who kicks
the ball. It is a race between the batter trying to run through ALL the bases, and
the defense trying to pass the ball back to the pitcher so that he/she is in control
of the ball in the pitcher's circle. Each batter either scores a run or is out.

5. Soccer TENNIS - create a space that is approximately 20x40 yards (use cones to
create a center court line); split into two teams (no more than five players on a
team). Each team sets up on half of the court. One team starts by kicking the ball
on a bounce from behind the end line over the net (or center court line) into the
other teams half. After the ball bounces in play, the receiving team must juggle
the ball before returning it over the net and inside the playing area. A point can
only be scored on your own serve, and the winner is the first team to 15 points and
to win by 2 clear points. Hands are not allowed but any other body part is.

6. Head it in the BASKETBALL Hoop - using a clean garbage can or basketball hoop,
toss a ball to yourself or a friend and then try to head it into the can or hoop.
You can also try to kick the ball into the hoop (use your laces)!

7. 1v1 or 1v2 Inside the BASKETBALL Center Circle - with one Defender and one (or
two) Attacker(s), play 1v1 or 1v2; switch roles often. When the ball goes out of
play, have new people enter the circle.

8. 3v3 on a BASKETBALL Court - divide your group into teams of three and have a
round-robin tournament. Create goals using benches or bleachers in the gym. Each
game lasts three minutes; when the ball goes outside the basketball court the other
team begins a new play with a "kick in." When a goal is scored, the team that scored
immediately takes the ball and tries to score in the other direction. The team with
the most goals after three minutes remains on the court. If the game is a tie, the
team that won the previous game stays for the next match up.

With affiliate programs in 15 major US cities, America SCORES empowers students in
urban communities using soccer, writing, creative expression, and service-learning.
For more information visit www.AmericaSCORES.org


Web Site = http://www.AmericaSCORES.org

Contact Details = Suzanne R. Taylor
917-656-5018
staylor@americascores.org

America SCORES
520 8th Avenue, Suite 801
New York, NY 10018
fax 212-868-9533
ofc 212-868-9510