“Old Boys” 3-Peat at World Bank Tournament

July 14th, 2010

Picture of Old Boy's Team

City FC’s men’s team, the Old Boys, were recently crowned champions of this year’s World Bank Best Foot Forward 6 v 6 charity tournament for the third year in a row.  They won by defeating “Play 4 Development” with the final score of 3 to 2. The third and fourth place teams were “NW Internazionale FC” and “Washington Express.”  Charitable organizations selected by the top four teams are donated money from the registration fees paid by each of the 24 teams.  Jubilee Jobs, the charity selected by the Old Boys, will receive $3,000 from the team’s victory. Check out Facebook for more photo.

It was a long day but a truly rewarding one for a fantastic cause!

Congrats, Old Boys!

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Akrem & Thomas on a Mission to Build “Goals For The World”

July 13th, 2010

Picture of Akrem and Thomas

Banneker High School and City FC student-athletes, Akrem Muzemil and Thomas Mehari have recently made it a personal mission to raise money for developing soccer pitches in disadvantaged parts of the world.  Their organization, Goals For The World, run by teens is “dedicated to enriching the lives of less fortunate youth through sports. Our goal is to provide soccer fields and equipment to neighborhoods around the world.”  The first of these pitches will be constructed in Akrem’s home town of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At the particular site, kids play soccer but there are no goals, almost no grass, and the presence of needles and other hazardous items make it a virtual minefield for its mostly barefoot users.  Akrem is currently in Ethiopia working on this project and will return in mid-August.

This fledgling organization is in need of donations to continue to provide fields of dreams for players around the globe.  The cost of renovating each new site is estimated at $1,000 USD.  If you are interested in learning more or would like to make a donation, please contact Akrem and Thomas at goalsfortheworld@yahoo.com.

Way to go, guys! We wish you the best!

(Photos from Akrem’s trip will be available on Facebook shortly)

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City FC U19 Girls Watch as Obama Honors Sky Blue FC at the White House

July 1st, 2010

Picture from White House visit

In collaboration with The Urban Soccer Collaborative, DC Scores and United for DC, girls from the City FC U19 girls’ team were invited to the White House to witness President Obama honor the 2009 WPS champs, Sky Blue FC.  Though the group waited anxiously for nearly two hours, the actual ceremony lasted a mere 15 minutes, as Obama arrived late and was pressed for time.  Even though there was no opportunity for the girls to shake the President’s hand, the girls were quite excited to be in the same room as the President as he honored fellow soccer players.  Not to mention, the girls also found themselves in the presence of women’s soccer greats like Tasha Kai, Carli Lloyd, Heather O’Reilly, Christie Rampone, Rosana and Kacey White.  All in all, this was a memorable experience.

Check out our Facebook page for more photos!

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City FC in the News

June 22nd, 2010

City FC standout alum, “Eto’O” Kemda-Kemtsop, is profiled by Washington City Paper. (LINK)

Student-athletes Akrem Muzemil and Thomas Mehari are highlighted in the City Paper for building soccer pitches in Ethiopia.  Their organization is called “Goals For The World.” (LINK)

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City FC Tigers “kick it” at a DC United Game

June 17th, 2010

On May 15, 2010, the City FC Tigers (U11 coed) attended DC United’s Kicks for Kids program to see the DC United v Colorado Rapids match.  The kids had a great time and bonded off the field over a DC United game.  This unique experience also provided the players with a venue to learn from watching soccer pros and observe teamwork at play on the field.    The players on the City FC Tigers team attend schools across the District, including E.L. Haynes, Shepherd, St. Anne’s, Janney, Blessed Sacrament and West Elementary.  Without the generosity of Tom Schings and everyone at Sherwin Williams Co., the City FC Tigers would not have been able to attend.    Powered solely by volunteers and funded by generous donations, experiences like this offer City FC youth another perspective that motivate them to excel both on and off the field.

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The City FC 1 Squad Wins the Cherry Blossom Tournament 2010

June 8th, 2010

NATIONAL MALL,  WASHINGTON, DC – Despite the cold, gloomy forecast that was set for the last weekend in March, nothing could cast out the shining radiance of the City FC 1 squad at the 2010 Cherry Blossom Tournament. City FC 1 won the championship title in this year’s tournament.    The Cherry Blossom Tournament is an annual two-day adult coed football tournament, and this year, it was held on Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28 on the National Mall, adjacent to the Reflecting Pool at the base of the Lincoln Memorial.  There were 32 teams participating in the tournament from across the DC Metropolitan Area. The tournament was sponsored by District Sports, a local nonprofit organization.    In the words of 2010 Cherry Blossom Tournament Director Josh Harris from District Sports, “City FC 1 defeated Charlie Davies War in a nail-biting final that went all the way through the 10-minute sudden death period still tied, 0-0. The penalty kick shootout was just as exciting as the previous 50 minutes of soccer and eventually concluded with a 4-2 penalty kick shootout victory for City FC 1 . . . Charlie Davies War managed to survive eight consecutive games without conceding a goal (until the penalty kick shootout), but City FC 1′s penalty kick talents proved to be too much.”   The City FC 1 roster included 11 solid players (eight men and three women) who currently live in the DC area. City FC 1′s championship victory was even more so notorious as the team advanced with an undefeated record throughout the entire tournament despite not having any subs for the three women on the team (tournament rules dictated that at least three members of each sex are required on the field of play at all times). The squad included the following talented players (in alphabetical order):

  • Emily Cadei (Midfielder)
  • Mattia Chason (Striker)
  • Dan Driscoll (Goalkeeper)
  • Maiz Hogan (Defender)
  • Roy Kelly (Defender)
  • Mvuselelo Ngcoya (Defender/Midfielder)
  • Yinka Oyelaran (Midfielder/Striker)
  • Deni Popovski (Striker)
  • Alex Redmond (Midfielder/Striker)
  • Sahar Sattarzadeh (Defender)
  • Carlos Wilson (Defender/Midfielder)

As part of the championship prize pack, City FC 1 was awarded an autographed ball signed by the DC United squad and four DC United season tickets. The autographed ball will be auctioned off, and all proceeds will go towards City FC. District Sports also kindly offered all footballs that were used in the tournament to City FC for to use in its football programs.   On April 17, the champions were honored during halftime at the DC United-New England Revolution match at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, sporting jazzy City FC jerseys.  The squad looks forward to next year’s tournament.

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Help Send Malaika to South Africa!

May 12th, 2010

City FC’s own Malaika Nichols has been selected as one of eight young people who will have the extraordinary opportunity to travel to South Africa to represent the United States at the Football for Hope Festival 2010. Malaika was selected based on her personal growth, academic performance, commitment to social change in under-resourced communities, and playing skills.

During the final week of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, while the greatest players in the game are competing for the biggest prize in soccer, the Football for Hope Festival 2010, a very different kind of international tournament, will be taking place in the township of Alexandra in Johannesburg. Youth from around the world will participate in cultural activities, workshops, and a tournament. Football for Hope is a movement that uses the power of the game for social development. It is led by FIFA and streetfootballworld, a center of expertise that supports a global network of local organizations that work in the field of youth development through soccer.

Thirty-two youth delegations from around the world will represent organizations that use soccer to strengthen under-served communities. These organizations are using soccer to address a wide range of social issues, such as ethnic violence in Israel and Palestine, environmental pollution in the slums of Kenya, HIV/AIDS education in South Africa, and landmine education in Cambodia and gang culture in Ecuador.

The American delegation includes eight young players ages 15 to 18 years old (four male and four female) plus one coach, one youth leader, and two chaperones. The players represent the Starfinder Foundation in Philadelphia, PA, Soccer in the Streets in Atlanta, GA, and programs within the Urban Soccer Collaborative national membership. Malaika will represent the DC Stoddert’s City Football Club of Washington, DC, an Urban Soccer Collaborative member organization.

What’s the purpose? During this once-in-a-lifetime trip Malaika will participate in activities designed to change the way she sees herself and others by learning about the realities of her peers from around the world. By hearing first hand from people of other cultures, she will be able to separate fact from fiction and see what other people are like and how they live. The group will develop leadership skills and, at the center of the competition, learn to resolve conflict and develop positive solutions—across cultural and language barriers. The festival will help Malaika and the other delegates develop a healthy and educated world view.

Unfortunately, this trip is costly. Football for Hope will cover each delegation’s housing and food costs while in South Africa and provide tracksuits and two full uniforms for each player. However, Malaika is responsible for all other costs, including airfare (approx. $3,200 each!) and other travel expenses, passports, immunizations, clothing for official events, turf shoes, practice uniforms, travel gear, small gifts to share with other delegations, and other incidental expenses. Please consider making a gift to help send Malaika to South Africa this summer! Your donations will be greatly appreciated and acknowledged. Please contact Cara Rooney at cara.rooney@cityfc.org if you are interested in helping Malaika’s trip become a reality.

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Black History Futsal Invitational Tournament

March 1st, 2010
City FC White team

City FC White team

Congratulations to the City FC White team!   Maya, Laniyyah, Kendall, Ciara, Abby, Melis, Tasi, and Malaika played four tough games to bring home the 2nd place trophy in the Second Annual Black History Futsal Invitational Tournament on Saturday, February 27th.

A DC Parks and Recreation sponsored event at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, the tournament welcomed four competitive U19 girls teams representing Bell High School (Bell), DC Stoddert, School Without Walls (Walls), and the Southern Maryland Football Club (SMFC).

The City FC White team lost a tough first match, 2-5, to the SMFC.  Starting at keeper, Malaika, initiated the first goal by passing around the backfield with Tassi, Maya, and Abby to move the ball up the court.  Maya received the ball in the center and fed it to Melis who found the back of the net for her first goal of the day.  Melis scored the second goal after receiving a square pass from Abby on the right flank.

After a twenty minute break, the girls played a tight game against Bell.  With Malaika in goal again, Bell wasn’t able to find the back of the net.  The City FC team won their second game, 1-0.  After receiving the ball in the center of the court, Laniyyah connected with Tasi who dribbled past a Bell player to get the ball to Maya.  Maya finished the play with a goal in upper right corner of the goal.

The City FC girls’ played Walls in their third game coming out on top with another 1-0 victory, and making it to the finals. Abby played in goal this game, giving Malaika some field time.  Abby started the string of passes resulting in the winning goal.  Abby to Malaika to Maya who one-touched it to Tasi who launched a shot in the upper left corner of goal.

In the finals the City FC girls picked up their game to compete with the seasoned SMFC.  The girls increased their intensity of play by moving the ball around the court and taking more shots on goal.  However, despite their best efforts, the girls were unable to pull off a victory.

This tournament was a wonderful opportunity for the City FC White team to play with other U19 girls in a competitive and fun-spirited manner.  All involved showed much improvement in their play and cohesiveness as a team throughout the afternoon.  Overall this tournament was a huge success and everyone had a fantastic time playing together on Saturday afternoon.

City Football Club (“City FC”), a program of DC Stoddert Soccer, was established in 2007 to provide District youth with a curriculum combining excellent soccer coaching and first-rate mentorship and college preparation. City FC is organized exclusively for charitable purposes as an educational non-profit. Its objective is to bring together the City’s youth for educational and recreational opportunities, including but not limited to soccer.

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City FC launches new tutoring program

February 2nd, 2010

City FC is excited to officially launch City FC Advantage in February.  City FC Advantage is an after school tutoring program that will provide participants with a safe space to do their homework with the assistance of qualified tutors.  Regular tutoring hours will be held Tuesday and Thursday evenings, from 7-9PM in classroom space generously donated by the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC), and healthy snacks will be available each night.  In addition to providing homework assistance, our goal is to focus at least one tutoring session a month on a particular topic, such as interview preparation, resume building, or SAT/ACT practice.  City FC Advantage will help give our players an extra edge, both in the classroom and on the field.

City Football Club (“City FC”), a program of DC Stoddert Soccer, was established in 2007 to provide District youth with a curriculum combining excellent soccer coaching and first-rate mentorship and college preparation. City FC is organized exclusively for charitable purposes as an educational non-profit. Its objective is to bring together the City’s youth for educational and recreational opportunities, including but not limited to soccer.

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City FC coaches hold spring planning meeting

January 27th, 2010

City FC coaches met with Business Director Cara Rooney and Coaching Director Roy Kelley on January 26th in Columbia Heights to discuss plans for the upcoming spring season. City FC will have four teams this spring playing in the DC Stoddert program. The U-17 Boys will be playing with the Travel Program while the U-19 Boys, U-17 Girls and U-19 Girls teams will continue competing in the Rec Program. Registration activities are currently underway and players are encouraged to come out to one of our weekly futsal sessions in order to stay trim and fit during the winter. The season will kick off in late March.

City Football Club (“City FC”), a program of DC Stoddert Soccer, was established in 2007 to provide District youth with a curriculum combining excellent soccer coaching and first-rate mentorship and college preparation. City FC is organized exclusively for charitable purposes as an educational non-profit. Its objective is to bring together the City’s youth for educational and recreational opportunities, including but not limited to soccer.

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