MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – As the FIFA Club World Cup plays out at Hard Rock Stadium, hundreds of local students were given a reason to cheer — and kick — a little closer to home.
More than 100 students took part in a special Summer Field Day event Friday at Lake Stevens Elementary School in Miami Gardens.
The event, hosted by the education nonprofit Achieve Miami, was part of a new partnership with FIFA aimed at expanding access to soccer and educational programming across South Florida.
“We’ve been doing music, soccer,” said participant Aaron Ledgister. “We also have been doing penalty kicks.”
The day included games, giveaways and a formal ceremony to announce the three-year initiative.
The goal: incorporate soccer into existing education programs at more than a dozen public schools and provide greater opportunities for students in underserved communities.
“You know, we’re here today with students and really embedding ourselves in the community,” said Brittany Addams, education manager for FIFA. “Just 10 minutes down the road is our Club World Cup tournament happening, and I think it really shows the best of both sides of FIFA. We do these grand, large, worldwide tournaments, but we also care deeply about the communities that we’re in.”
For Achieve Miami, the collaboration marks a major step forward.
“Having somebody like FIFA to collaborate with, to partner with — oh my God — what an incredible new plethora of opportunities to do great things for our communities, and most importantly, for our kids,” said Achieve Miami founder Leslie Miller Saiontz.
Student Nkiya Colden said she’s excited about what the partnership will bring to local schools.
“We could do all kinds of different soccer, all kinds of different activities that we’ve never had before,” she said.
The new initiative comes as international soccer excitement reaches a fever pitch in South Florida.
On Thursday, Inter Miami made history by defeating FC Porto 2-1 at the FIFA Club World Cup, becoming the first CONCACAF team to beat a European club in the tournament.
Lionel Messi scored on a free kick to put Inter Miami in the lead — and the region on the global soccer map.
The education partnership between FIFA and Achieve Miami is set to run for at least three years, bringing both sport and opportunity to local classrooms and playgrounds.
