The SCORES Cup Nets Nearly $50,000 for America SCORES NY

There was a record turnout for the 2011 SCORES Cup, a corporate soccer tournament to raise funds for America SCORES New York at Pier 40 on Saturday, June 25th. (image source: christopher dobens)

When people think about passion and soccer, most visualize face-painted fans mugging for the cameras. I think of people who volunteer their time and money to use soccer to make things better. And while the Gold Cup had plenty of the former, the SCORES Cup had all the latter – and it was a joyous spectacle to watch.

(l-r) Ebony Thomas, America SCORES NY's executive board co-chair; daughter Corix Thomas; Corwin Thomas, America SCORES NY's executive board co-chair; son Evan Thomas; and Rob Uvanovic, America SCORES NY's program manager. (image source: christopher dobens)

Let me step back a bit and begin by explaining who these people are. America SCORES is a national non-profit that provides after-school soccer programs for underprivileged youth that integrate soccer, poetry, and community service. Their team-based approach is designed to improve the children’s health and academics as well as encourage civic engagement.

Their local chapter, America SCORES New York, runs programs in three public elementary schools in Harlem, serving approximately 90 boys and girls in grades 3-5. They also have a Junior SCORES program at one of the schools, which works with even younger kids.

The 19 teams that participated in the 2011 SCORES Cup. (image source: christopher dobens)

The program begins by forming soccer teams, creating a bond and shared purpose among the kids while getting them physically active. They then take that team back into the classroom to “discover their voice through poetry.” And that voice is then used to champion change within their community.

In the fall semester, the kids have two days of practice, two days of poetry workshops, and then they compete against teams from the other local schools on Fridays. For the spring semester, they switch the poetry workshops to service-learning, with the kids spending two days a week working on a community project.

Like most non-profits, America SCORES New York relies on donations and volunteers to ensure the success of its programs. And the annual SCORES Cup corporate soccer tournament is their primary fundraising event.

Christopher Thomas (r) of the New York Cosmos played for Nutmeg Radio's team. (image source: christopher dobens)

Groups make a donation ($3,000 for a corporate team, or $1,500 for an individual team) to enter a squad, and some make additional contributions to become sponsors of the event – as BBDO and Ernst & Young did this summer. Held on Saturday, June 25th, the 2011 SCORES Cup had a field of 19 teams – the largest in the tournament’s three-year history – that were split into four groups. The top two from each group advanced to the knockout stage. And the winner receives a trophy, with their name etched in the base to ensure eternal glory.

Having attended the inaugural NYFEST fundraising soccer tournament earlier this year, which was also held at Pier 40 in New York City, I was once again pleasantly surprised by the quality of these corporate teams. Unlike a corporate softball team, a sport which most Americans have grown up with some experience or at least familiarity, you would expect fewer talented soccer players on a corporate soccer team. But the caliber of players at this event proves how far soccer has come in this country, with every side exhibiting some degree of quality.

The competition was intense as Mr. Dennehy's (green) faced the New York Stock Exchange (white) in the final of the 2011 SCORES Cup soccer tournament. (image source: christopher dobens)

And having also attended the  and the 4th-annual Showdown in Chinatown celebrity match, I’m obligated to add that the SCORES Cup is run exceptionally well. The volunteer staff thought of everything, and kept things running smoothly. It did have a down-home, church BBQ sort of feel to it, but it was still run like a professional tournament. For those participating, they enjoyed a first-class event without feeling that any of the money they contributed would be spent frivolously – which is all too often the case with these types of things.

America SCORES NY's , Corwin Thomas (l) presented the SCORES Cup to the captain of Mr. Dennehy's, the 2011 champions. (image source: christopher dobens)

The games were 7 vs. 7, and each side had to have two women in the field at a time. Which ultimately seemed silly, because the quality of the women playing on these teams was quite impressive.

Group A saw Millburn FC and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) advance. Group B sent Soros Fund Management II and Love Everybody Kickers onward, with Mr. Dennehy’s and AON advancing from Group C. And Ernst & Young and the B-Sharps earned the honors from Group D.

Ernst & Young, Millburn FC, Mr. Dennehy’s, and the NYSE survived the quarterfinals. Then Mr. Dennehy’s beat Millburn FC in the first semifinal while the NYSE topped Ernst & Young in the second, setting up a classic final of a prominent New York City soccer bar vs. the largest equities-based stock exchange in the world.

Mr. Dennehy’s had ample subs, more than enough to field two separate sides. The NYSE only had a handful, and when you have to play seven games in one afternoon, that can be a problem. To put it in their terms, the NYSE side were woefully under-capitalized. Which is a shame, because they were arguably the better side. In fact, they may have had the strongest female players in the tournament.

Lacking sufficient subs, the New York Stock Exchange crashed in the final, losing 0-2 to the well-stocked Mr. Dennehy's. (image source: christopher dobens)

In the end, Mr. Dennehy’s were able to find the net – twice. The NYSE squad were clearly spent, resorting to long-balls forward, but to no avail. Beer won out over money (as it should be), with Mr. Dennehy’s beating the NYSE 2-0 to hoist the trophy.

Not to take away any of Mr. Dennehy’s glory, but the real winners were the city’s underprivileged children. The tournament raised nearly $50,000 to help fund America SCORES New York’s programs for the coming year.

But in these challenging times, the need still outweighs the resources available. America SCORES New York – and the kids they serve – can still use your help. If you would like to support this wonderful organization, they offer a numbers of ways to contribute. In addition, there are a variety of opportunities for corporations to get involved. And, of course, the countdown has already begun for the 2012 SCORES Cup!

Mr. Dennehy's, one of the top soccer bars in New York City, won the 2011 SCORES Cup, defeating the New York Stock Exchange 2-0. (image source: christopher dobens)

For more photos from the 2011 SCORES Cup, visit our Facebook page.

America SCORES New York's SCORES Cup 2011 fundraiser tournament was held at Pier 40 in New York City. (image source: christopher dobens)