Soccer gear for Tenderloin children in need of free play!

If you’ve had the opportunity to visit San Francisco or seen any news coverage on the city, the chances are that you’ve been made aware of the Tenderloin neighbourhood that lies right in the very heart of San Francisco. 30,000 people packed into half a square mile and the well documented fentanyl epidemic make this neighbourhood an extremely difficult environment to grow up in for the 3,500 children that call it home.

Having lived in the Tenderloin for the last 3 years I've also seen how packed with culture, community and history it is and how it functions on a foundation of residents looking out for one another. Few playgrounds and sports courts exist in the neighbourhood. When coupled with the high costs of organized youth sports, it’s very difficult for these children to participate in soccer at any level outside of school. Many families here face financial barriers that put club fees, uniforms, and equipment out of reach, meaning that without community-led efforts, kids are often left without a way to participate.

St Anthony’s Foundation is an organization offering food, medical care, clothing, addiction recovery, employment support and more, delivering vital support to these families every day. I feel extremely lucky to be supporting them in their first two Golden Gate Greenway Socials in September, where I’ll be doing free soccer training sessions to children from their partnered schools in the Tenderloin, with the ambition of coaching many more.

Every dollar donated to this GoFundMe will be used to buy soccer gear/vouchers to a sporting goods store for the children involved in the Golden Gate Greenway Social. This gear will allow them to participate in future training sessions and help fulfill a basic need that is seen as a luxury to many of these children - the ability to play freely and without worry.

My goal is to purchase a pair of soccer trainers for every child to use for these sessions and beyond, a soccer ball so that they can play whenever, without a reliance on a coach for balls as well as a jersey (preferably) from the best team in the world … Chelsea F.C, let's turn the Tenderloin blue! Any contribution would be hugely appreciated and would help open the doors to safe play and opportunity for these children.

For an idea of how much I'm trying to raise per child:

~ $50 for a pair of indoor soccer trainers

~ $80 for trainers + a good quality ball

~ $150 for trainers + ball + Premier League club jersey

Photos and video of the event will be shared on my Instagram @chrisboestokes and on this page where you'll be able to see the equipment that you've helped purchase be put to use!