ABOUT ORASF
WHY WE EXIST…
Oakland is known throughout the United States as a hub of creativity, diversity, and activism. Sadly, Oakland also suffers from a long history of racial, gender, social, and environmental injustice which acutely impacts youth of color and especially girls.
Sports teams are an important part of a community’s social fabric and a source of unity, pride, and joy in an increasingly polarized society. Athletes can be the most powerful, positive role models for young people. Working alongside the Oakland Roots & Soul Sports Club, the Foundation seeks to leverage the unique power of sports to create positive social and health outcomes.
Our approach is rooted in data, experience, and collaboration with leading experts in the sports equity space, including Positive Coaching Alliance and Oakland Unified School District. Through these partnerships, we have identified our strategy toward systems change and “collective impact” - identifying, uniting, and supporting change agents within our communities and giving them access to the tools they need to tackle the barriers to participation that exist for youth who face overlapping adversities that compromise their health and wellbeing.
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SPORTS EQUITY
“Kids growing up in marginalized areas have disproportionately limited opportunities to engage in sports ... which can deprive them of many associated benefits: positive physical and mental health, socio-emotional support, academic success, and future career options.”
“Systemic barriers such as pay-to-play, school budgets, lack of diverse coaches, and poor-quality facilities and equipment marginalize low-income and communities of color. The disparity between youth from lower-income families and middle- and higher-income families is between 16% and 25% participation gap…There’s also a racial divide with BIPOC youth playing sports at a significantly lower rate than wealthier, white youth. The consequences of this are immense.”
"Why Equity Matters in Youth Sports”, Positive Coaching Alliance 2023YOUTH SOCCER SYSTEM CHANGE
Need: Youth soccer programs in predominantly minority communities receive 50% less funding on average compared to programs in predominantly white communities.* As a member of Positive Coaching Alliance’s Sports Equity Initiative, we’re actively pursuing systemic change through a collective-impact approach to battle racial and gender equity gaps in the youth sports system in Oakland and the East Bay.
Work: Invest in trusted local non-profit ‘Purpose Partners’ that use soccer as a vehicle for social impact to enhance and expand their impact and create new opportunities for 2500+ youth annually to access no-cost programs. Co-create and lead a ‘Youth Soccer Leadership’ group to catalyze a collective-impact approach to equity in youth soccer.
Use of Funds: Grants & staff
*US Soccer Foundation
SOCCER FOR ALL
Need: The 'pay to play' model exacerbates inequalities in access to soccer opportunities, leading to decreased participation rates, particularly among underprivileged communities who cannot afford the financial demands of organized soccer programs. Youth from families with household incomes below $25k are 6x less likely to participate in organized sports compared to those from families with incomes above $100k**.
Work: Support and Organize soccer camps and programs for youth from underserved communities.
Use of Funds: Staff, stipends, meals, equipment, field rentals, insurance, grants
*US Soccer Federation
**Aspen Institute Project Play
THE OAKLAND COACH ACADEMY
The lack of well-trained coaches (especially BIPOC and female coaches at K-8) is a significant barrier to accessing sports. Yet only 51% of elementary schools report having a credentialed PE teacher. Soccer is the most accessible and racially diverse team sport in the world, but soccer in the United States is not. It’s disproportionately white and upper-middle-class because of structural and systemic problems that make it inaccessible and unwelcoming to marginalized communities, especially to Black and Brown people.*
The ‘Oakland Coach Academy’ tackles this challenge at both ends of the power spectrum with two innovative programs aimed at tackling the financial and cultural barriers to equitable sports access for youth of color - the Community Coach Leadership Program and Switch the Pitch.
COMMUNITY COACH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Need: Youth of color who have access to quality, positive coaching are 60% more likely to continue participating in sports* and demonstrate 50% higher levels of leadership skills and civic engagement compared to those who experience negative coaching practices**
Work: Graduate coaches through a free, specially designed curriculum that teaches participants how to coach in under-resourced communities like Oakland with empathy and trauma sensitivity. The course includes official accreditation from the US Soccer Federation and training in ‘the Roots and Soul Way’ from the Club’s technical experts.
Use of Funds: Curriculum design, equipment, workshops, stipends, and staff time.
*”Aspen Institute, Project Play **’UCLA Center for the Study of Sport in Society
SWITCH THE PITCH
PRESENTED BY PG&E FOUNDATION
Need: Only 7% of youth soccer coaches in the United States identify as people of color, despite nearly 40% of youth soccer players being from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.* 62% of youth soccer players of color report experiencing racism or discrimination while participating in organized soccer activities.**
Work: Switch the Pitch is a groundbreaking, anti-racist education program for youth soccer coaches created by Oakland Roots SC and Common Goal, a movement led by some of the world’s top soccer stars. 100% of Switch the Pitch coaches increase their knowledge of racial justice, 88% report they will act to reduce bias, and 93% report they are better equipped to facilitate difficult conversations.
Use of Funds: Staff time, curriculum design, workshops, events, promotional and educational materials.
* “Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES)” at the University of Central Florida **Southern Poverty Law CenterLearn more about Common Goal and our anti-racist collaboration
SAFE PLACES TO PLAY
Access to a safe place to play is a critical component in sports equity, yet access to quality parks and teams is unevenly distributed based on race and ethnicity. White communities have 44% more park space per person than communities of color* and youth living in low-income and urban communities are 3x less likely to have access to safe and adequate soccer facilities compared to their counterparts in wealthier areas**.
Parks in underserved neighborhoods, particularly in East and West Oakland, tend to have lower maintenance standards and fewer amenities compared to parks in wealthier areas and many community sports facilities lack amenities such as lighting, restroom facilities, and adequate maintenance that limits the usability and safety of these facilities.***
*Trust for Public Land **US Soccer Foundation *** City of Oakland Department of Parks, Recreation and YouthLONGFELLOW FIELDS
Need: We’re working with Longfellow Fields LLC to support the development of a community soccer facility on a neglected and blighted lot in West Oakland. Our goal is to create a safe space for youth to access free soccer programming on Friday nights.
Use of Funds: Materials, construction labor, maintenance, programming, insurance, and staff time.
UPTOWN ARTS PARK
Need: Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) is a community institution that has produced world-famous artists like Zendaya, Kehlani, and the late Angus Cloud. The 800+ students at OSA’s uptown campus have no facilities for physical exercise, and OSA students have been robbed and sexually assaulted while trying to exercise in city parks.
Work: Together with OSA, we are building an ‘uptown arts park’ which would include a soccer field that will offer programming not just for OSA students but for the community at large as well as basketball, skating, and a performance stage.
Use of Funds: Materials, construction labor, maintenance, programming, insurance, and staff time.
OAKLAND ROOTS JUSTICE FUND
Need: Underserved communities in Oakland and the East Bay are impacted by a long history of complex and intersecting forms of race and gender inequity. Only 25% of Black and LatinX students in Oakland meet or exceed proficiency standards in English Language Arts and Math, compared to 70% of white and Asian students, indicating a significant educational achievement gap*. Together with the East Bay Community Foundation, which brings almost a century of experience in community-led impact funding, we created the Justice Fund to invest in organizations operating at the intersection of race and gender.
Work: Support organizations working at the intersection of race and gender justice with strategic grantmaking designed to catalyze impact.
Use of Funds: Direct grants to community benefit organizations
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Mike Geddes
Co-founder of Oakland Roots SC & Oakland Soul SC
Vice President at 17 Sport -
Lindsay Barenz
President at Oakland Roots SC & Oakland Soul SC
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Stephanie Hess
Chief Communications Officer at Discord
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Michael Schrag
Attorney at Pritker Levine
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Liliana Blanco, MSOD
Inclusion and Belonging Lead at Asana
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Chan U Lee
President and CEO, Chairwoman at Devine & Gong, Inc.
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Amber Childress
Regional Director, External Affairs and Communication at Aspire Public Schools
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Miles Makdisi
Director, Sustainability and Social Impact at Rakuten
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Catherine Howard
President at Community Vision Capital & Consulting
OUR PURPOSE PARTNERS
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America Scores Bay Area
SCORES is the home of the soccer-playing poet-athlete. We are passionate about bringing the beautiful game to public schools in every corner of Oakland. At SCORES, students become part of the school team, play in weekly games, they write and share poetry and, as a team, they take on community impact service-learning projects. Because of caring adults, donors, volunteers, and partners, SCORES has been delivering free soccer programs for 20 years in the Bay Area. Donations support program staff and our corps of front-line coach-mentors who bring joy and hope to the neighborhoods that need it most.
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Chapter 510
Chapter 510 is a made-in-Oakland youth writing, bookmaking & publishing center. Our teaching artists and volunteers work side-by-side with educators to provide a safe space and supportive community with a focus on Black, brown and queer young people ages 8-19 to bravely write. We believe that writing is an act of liberation. When young people write and get published, they transform themselves and their communities, succeeding in school, work, and life. We prioritize Oakland youth, schools, artists, and vendors. We’re here to build connections between Oakland’s diverse communities, individuals, and organizations around writing and publishing.
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My Yute Soccer
Founded in 2008, My Yute Soccer is wholly-operated by volunteers inspired by founder, Steve Sparkes. Sparkes has fond memories of playing street soccer growing up in his neighborhood in Kingston, Jamaica. “I had such a beautiful childhood. I wanted to create the same thing here.” He envisioned creating an opportunity to share his skills and talents as a player as well as a vehicle for building community. MYS is on a mission to provide access to a diverse socio-economic and cultural environment through the sport of soccer, enacted through free soccer camps for children ages 7 to 12 and a teen mentor program.
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Oakland Genesis Soccer Club
Club soccer in Oakland is costly and time-consuming, making it inaccessible to many local youth. Oakland Genesis removes these barriers by offering free soccer coaching, transportation, academic support, mentorship, college readiness, and nutrition education. We focus on inclusivity, helping underserved youth use their passion for soccer to achieve personal, educational, and life success. In partnership with the Yours in Soccer Foundation, we created the Oakland Genesis Academic Development Program to strengthen math, STEM, and literacy skills. The program supports students from middle school to high school graduation, aiming for 100% college eligibility with mentorship, test prep, and application assistance.
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Soccer Without Borders
Since 2007, Soccer Without Borders Oakland has been a crucial resource for newcomer refugee and immigrant youth in Oakland. SWB’s holistic, evidence-based model combines soccer practices and games with academic and language support, civic engagement, and cultural exchange activities, while proactively reducing barriers to entry that typically leave newcomers excluded. Together in a welcoming team environment led by a caring mentor-coach, more than 550 newcomer youth in 2020-21 advanced academically, developed personally, made healthy lifestyle choices, built social capital, and developed English language skills. The balance and dosage of these activities creates a powerfully influential environment that is focused on the development of the whole person over many years.
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Street Soccer USA
Street Soccer USA Oakland’s mission is to fight poverty and strengthen communities through soccer. We believe in a world where everyone can grow and develop within the supportive context of a team. Our model gives participants an alternative to the pay-to-play, granting access to youth, teens and young adults throughout the Town who often get priced out of popular team sports. Through our programs, we develop team players and community leaders and to connect them and their families to the opportunities and support they need to achieve their goals in school and in life. We partner with schools, government agencies and CBOs, as well as develop our own neighborhood based soccer clubs, called Street Leagues. The SSUSA Street League league provides opportunities for participants to compete, show commitment, test their skills, and deepen and expand their friendships. It is designed to engage parents and community partners to create fellowship and social capital within and across neighborhoods.
