SFYS @ School

Program Overview

SFYS @ School provides a structured soccer experience at elementary and middle schools for all students.

Access is available to all students on the playground, without exception. Because we bring soccer to the school grounds, there is no registration required.

The program was created in 2018 with three objectives:

  • Address the need and desire for structured activity at school during recess and lunch 
  • Empower children to learn autonomously and build confidence through playing pick up soccer.
  • Deliver on the SFYS mission of supporting soccer in San Francisco.

The long term program goals are to provide more access to the sport for youth, more coaching experience for coaches across the city, to get more players into teams in the SFYS divisions, and create a self-funded program that directly supports soccer and community.

Why School Soccer Works

Coaches are licensed, background cleared and field trained. The SFYS @ School program is evaluated and adapted based on feedback from the schools and their site needs.

Inclusion: Conducted on the blacktop or playground mini-pitches, all students are allowed to participate, with accomodations made for any individual or group circumstances.

Adaption: Grades that participate are determined based on timing and availability of SFYS, as well as playground space. Most of our soccer programming, as you see from the pictures, is done on black top (or in a hall if it rains!) so we don't need a soccer field to play! We work with the children on setting up the goals, picking their teams, and getting the game going. After two to three weeks the children have grasped the foundation of 'School Soccer' and are leading the way! 

Currently the SFYS @ School program is 100% donation-based: we would love your donation right here!

Did you know that you can bring SF Youth Soccer into your school​ for lunch time or after school soccer?

For now, SFYS is attempting to grow the program in as many schools as possible, with flexibility around the time and day. SFYS fundraises for this program, so whilst there are funds, the program is free! We'll come once per week for a semester (or longer) and provide quality structured activity to maximize play time!

SFYS @ School

Testimonials

It is such a great, great program that you have ... teaching our kids how to play soccer, how to be good teammates and how to work together. Keep up the good work, we love you guys and want to see you all in more schools!
- Henry Wong, Principal, West Portal ES

SF Youth Soccer has been a wonderful addition to our lunch program. Kinder and 3rd grade students eagerly await Monday soccer sessions. It has been a pleasure to witness students learn skills such as cooperation and teamwork while learning soccer skills. Commodore Sloat is fortunate to have this program at our school.
- Fowzigian Abdolocar, Principal Sloat Elementary, San Francisco

Rationale

SFYS and UpMetrics co-created a strategic approach to Social Emotional Learning (SEL) reporting via a survey-based evaluation of program participants in 5 capacities: Self Management, Social Skills, Positive Identity, Mastery Orientation and Academic Self-Efficacy.

Of the pilot cohort of 34 kids, 3rd grade and older, from three SFUSD elementary schools (Sloat, Glen Park and Flynn), 24 participated in the survey. The pilot study showed that 100% of the participants had improved or maintained their SEL growth in all five areas.

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