KICK IT FORWARD STRIVES TO BE A POSITIVE DISRUPTOR TO THE IOWA SOCCER COMMUNITY
Kick It Forward aims to develop athletic and life skills in youth soccer athletes to allow them to be powerful resources for their own health and well-being and to promote social change.
Kick It Forward (KIF) was founded by local business leaders who, after successful college soccer careers, wanted to share their passion for the game with the next generation. KIF is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in operation since 2012 and they areoverseen by a three person Board of Directors comprised of local law and current and former business professionals. KIF is funded primarily from private donations from foundations and through grassroots fundraising initiatives. KIF also utilizes several other business professionals as volunteers and partners with multiple organizations throughout the State of Iowa to find innovative ways to eliminate financial barriers for youth to advance through soccer.
Through 2019, KIF served in excess of 500 kids annually, and with the Mini-Pitch initiative, that number is expected to grow into the thousands in 2020.
Mini-Pitch Initiative
KIF has partnered with Musco Lighting to bring Musco’s patented modular mini-pitch system to communities across Iowa. In particular, we’ve combined our efforts with USL Pro Iowa and have targeted the completion of 10 mini-pitches in 2020.
KIF Media
We believe in promoting the game of soccer on a local level. So, we came up with a loose plan to highlight a high school “Game of the Week.” This, of course, quickly turned into a full-fledged operation with weekly write-ups and lots of time on social media. Long story short, “Game of the Week” coverage continued to develop and it was clear that the Iowa soccer community had an interest. In 2019, we took “GoW” to the airwaves (or the Interweb, technically) and started a podcast. That podcast, Soccer Talk presented by Kick It Forward, has now grown beyond “GoW” to include segments like the Iowa Soccer Legends’ Series, Beers on the Table and Stories with (MLS Stalwart) Jeff Larentowicz. We have now published over 60 episodes and there are plans to develop a video highlight show, plus we some other exciting ideas on the board in their infancy.
Grassroots Programming
Breaking down barriers and offering more access to the game is our goal. From Free U8 Clinics to adult soccer tournaments, from sponsoring a team to assisting players in their college search, we are always trying to bring opportunities, through the game of soccer, to the people.
Contact
Interested in Kick It Forward? Hit us up.
Email
email@example.com
Phone
(555) 555-5555