Special Olympics Oregon camp held Sept. 27 and a U.S. Soccer and Soccer Forward-led ‘Soccer at Schools’ training Sept. 29
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers and Bank of America have partnered to bring two ‘Soccer with Us’ community events to Providence Park. The first event featured a Special Olympics Oregon camp on Sunday, September 27, to be followed by a Soccer at Schools training led by U.S. Soccer and Soccer Forward on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
These community events are part of Bank of America’s Soccer with Us platform, which brings together the bank’s soccer partnerships and community investments to expand access to the game and create opportunities for young people to play, learn and connect. The Portland events build on Bank of America’s partnership with the Timbers and the organizations’ shared commitment to supporting youth and strengthening communities through soccer.
Special Olympics Camp
Led by the PTFC Camps team, the Special Olympics camp on September 27 guided players ages 8-21 through a series of games and activities focused on soccer skills.
“Special Olympics Oregon is incredibly grateful for the Portland Timbers’ unwavering support and commitment to inclusion. For years, the Timbers have opened the doors of Providence Park and their community to our athletes, creating opportunities for people with and without intellectual disabilities to come together through the sport we love,” Special Olympics Oregon CEO Britt Oase said. “This camp is another wonderful example of what is possible when we work together to make soccer truly accessible to everyone. We are proud to call the Timbers a longtime partner and look forward to continuing to build a more inclusive soccer community across Oregon.”
Each year, Special Olympics Oregon fields a Portland Timbers Unified team, bringing athletes with and without intellectual disabilities together through soccer. The Timbers Unified team competes against other MLS Unified teams both at Providence Park and on the road, traveling to communities across the country to represent the club.
Additionally, two Timbers Unified athletes are selected every year to participate in the Special Olympics Unified Sports All-Star experience. Beyond Unified Soccer, Providence Park serves as the annual host of Special Olympics Oregon’s Fall State Games, further extending the longstanding partnership between the two organizations.
Soccer at Schools Training
Led by U.S. Soccer through the Soccer Forward Foundation in partnership with Bank of America, Soccer at Schools is a national initiative with the goal of making soccer accessible in every school across the country by 2030. The program aims to expand access to the sport by equipping educators, State Soccer Associations, community organizations, parents and more with resources that empower the entire soccer ecosystem, all accessible through the Soccer at Schools Platform, including advocacy tools, PE activities, training, partner-supported programming and equipment. The free platform is available for anyone at socceratschools.ussoccer.com.
“We want more kids to have the opportunity to experience soccer in a joyful and meaningful way, which means making the game accessible in the places they already are, and schools are a critical part of that,” said Lex Chalat, Executive Director of the Soccer Forward Foundation. “Soccer at Schools is about supporting the educators and administrators with key resources they need on the journey to bringing soccer to their students whether that be equipment, tools, or training. This partnership with Bank of America and the Timbers highlights how, when a soccer ecosystem comes together, we can make a bigger impact at a local level. Together with partners across all facets of soccer, we’re building a model that can reach more schools, more communities and ultimately more kids across the country.”
“Bank of America’s Soccer with Us is designed to expand access to the game and create opportunities for people and communities,” said Marc Compton, president, Bank of America Oregon and Southwest Washington. “By bringing together our partnerships with the Portland Timbers, U.S. Soccer, Soccer Forward and Special Olympics Oregon, we are investing in the educators, coaches and community leaders who help young people build teamwork, leadership and resilience on and off the field.”
With approximately 50 teachers in attendance, the Soccer at Schools training will take place on Tuesday, September 29, from 4-7pm PT at Providence Park. The event will feature a panel led by Jake Zivin with Timbers defender Eric Miller and Timbers2 head coach Jack Cassidy discussing the importance of positive leaders in sport.
About Soccer Forward
The Soccer Forward Foundation is a key driver in U.S. Soccer’s overall vision that soccer is a force for good. Operating with the belief that soccer contributes to healthier and more connected, equitable communities, Soccer Forward supports U.S. Soccer’s efforts to expand access to the sport, helping the game reach more people and create lasting change. Soccer Forward focuses on enabling and equipping people, places and programs to grow the game in communities across America and on delivering cutting-edge research, training, and guidelines to prove soccer’s contribution to health outcomes in communities. In addition, it will develop standards and provide business and technical support to build the ecosystem for the women’s game across the U.S. and globally. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/soccer-forward.
About Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 69 million clients with approximately 3,500 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 60 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. As the #1 small business lender in the United States (FDIC), Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries and/or jurisdictions. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
