Summer Times

Sports4HOPE's soccer guru Scott Brelsford (far left in red) shares how he spent his summer promoting sport & peace education with the help of The Boys and Girls Club...

Hey everyone! Now that summer has come to an end, I wanted to share a few words about Sports4HOPE’s first fund-raising event which occurred this July in my home state of Tennessee...

With the help of the Keystone Group from the Boys and Girls Club (Of Murfreesboro, TN), I was able to run the soccer portion of a sport fund-raising clinic for kids ranging from 7-14 years of age. The turnout was fantastic and allowed us to do various drills and mini games which culminated in a full scrimmage after an awesome lunch break that was sponsored in part by Miss Tennessee.

By collecting donations in exchange for a day of sports training, the club was able to raise money that will help kids in DR Congo benefit from the same type of leagues that kids in the US experience. We also taught the youths about Sports4HOPE's mission. I explained that while kids here are able to learn sportsmanship, teamwork, develop respect for other players and coaches through sport, kids in less developed or conflict affected countries don't always have these opportunities. The kids agreed that all people, young and old, here or abroad, should have access to sports - which is something we take for granted.

At a grassroots level, the training session was similar to what we anticipate the beginning stages of our work in the Congolese villages will look like. However, the training for the boys and girls of Murfreesboro was just for one day, whereas training and coaching the kids in the Congo will be longterm. In the end, it's all about kids coming together for a common purpose - to learn the value of relationships and teamwork through sport, and thus helping peace move forward...

Scott Brelsford

Sport & Design
scott.brelsford@sports4hope.org
Stay tuned for more to come and make sure to join our Facebook fan page!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sports4HOPE/130771760237

And so it continues....

So this is a little delayed BUT....

....Happy New Year from all of us on the Sports4HOPE team. We hope that 2010 is off to anexcellent start!

We just wanted to update you on everything that transpired in 2009 as well as fill you in on what is on the horizon for us this coming year.

2009 was definitely a defining year for our organization. What started out as an idea in the head of the Reynard brothers has turned into a full-fledged non-profit organization (complete with 501(c)(3) approval!) with a clear mission and vision, a functioning board of directors, a great website, and a partner organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Needless to say, we are very pleased with what we were able to accomplish this past year, and we are very thankful for all the support and encouragement that you, our friends and family, have provided.

We expect 2010 to be no less pivotal and exciting as we aim to begin our pilot project over the course of the year. We have our work cut out for us, but we are already gearing up for the ride. Members of our team are participating in opportunities that are really helping us build our organizational capacity and will ensure that Sports4HOPE will be as strong and effective as possible. Team member activities include working in program services for a disabled sports organization, completing degrees in International Peace and Conflict Resolution as well as International Relations and Diplomacy, relocating to France for project and language training, and working as a coach for training and development with a professional soccer team! Our hope is to have a team member actually living on location in DRC sometime this year to begin the tangible work of Sports4HOPE. We’d love to report by the end of the year that kids in the villages of Kagaba, Vilo, and Bogoro are playing sports and laying the groundwork for peace!

Many, many thanks for your continued interest, guidance, questions, and support. We truly could not do it without you. Be sure to look out for more updates as we journey through the year. In the mean time, check out our website (www.sports4hope.org), shoot us an email, and keep us in your thoughts!

Best Regards,

The Sports4HOPE Team
Stephen Reynard
Paul Reynard
Cam MacMillan
Rachel Brophy
Scott Brelsford
Jessie Ensminger