Statements
Mission
To transform and empower youth and their families of all nations through soccer.
Background
All Nations Sports Academy (or ANSA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization operating in the greater Houston Area. With a mission to transform and empower youth and families of all nations through sports, our focus extends well beyond the soccer pitch. ANSA was founded in 2014 by Marcelo and Lisa Galvao after church volunteering exposed them to the great needs and systemic poverty in many Houston area neighborhoods. Beginning as a grassroots organization, ANSA’s founders spent evenings playing soccer, jumping rope and reading books to children in a cul-de-sac of an apartment complex, predominantly populated with refugee and recent immigrants in Sharpstown. Due to Marcelo’s background in coaching soccer and after receiving 501(c)3 status, ANSA was officially formed and began a free-to-the-community, in-house soccer league (i.e., our developmental program)—aimed at reaching children where they were at, mobilizing volunteers into service in areas of high need, and providing life-impacting opportunities for these precious children and youth. At the heart of ANSA is the whole life coaching curriculum that is interwoven into soccer training sessions and which enables coaches and volunteers to go deeper with the kids, sharing Biblically-based, life application lessons that focus on traits like respect, teamwork and forgiveness. Thus, training is the launchpad for discussion and engagement. Life, not unlike soccer, is a team sport, and ANSA shares a concern for the children that extends into their family and community lives.
Today, ANSA consistently serves over 550 children in just the greater Houston area alone and is set to increase this number in 2019-20, pending adequate funding and volunteer support. We now offer various soccer programs to engage even more children and to reach across socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural barriers. Our core program, our developmental program, remains grounded in mentoring and empowering children and youth from under-resourced neighborhoods via connecting through “o jogo bonito” (the beautiful game). Together with community, church, and individual partners, ANSA strives to provide children and their families with the joy of living to the fullest – on and off the pitch.
Needs
1. General Operational Funding. Our developmental program is the core of ANSA, spread across 10 sites with a budgeted cost of $12,100 per site per year.
2. Volunteers. We rely heavily on volunteer support, with 220 volunteers contributing quarterly and 300 contributing annually to our events, game-days, discovery nights, and Bible studies.
3. Purchase of a van for transportation. We use vans to transport our economically under-served players to practices, events, and discovery nights. Support in paying off our 2018 vehicle would be much appreciated, with $16,142 remaining on the lease.
4. We would love to hire a part-time volunteer and site coordinator for our developmental program. The cost of each of these positions would be $30,000 per annum.
Impact Statement
It is ANSA's purpose to connect with people through soccer and to share the Gospel message. Furthermore, we seek to enhance the work done by Christian chruches and organizations active in local communities. Our vision is twofold: to mobilize Christians into service and to reach out especially to disadvantaged communities who are in need of transformation and hope. ANSA can only be successful with the help of volunteers who have a heart for helping children, serving others, and honoring God.
Other ways to donate, support, or volunteer
We invite volunteers to contact us through our website at ansacademy.org! Opportunities include financial contributions, facilities contributions, volunteering at events or as a coach, introductions to foundations or donors, or marketing help. We are grateful for all of our community partners, and volunteer support is our number one need.
Service Categories
Primary Organization Category
Recreation & Sports / Soccer