Somerville Youth Soccer is honored to announce that it has received a generous grant from the City of Somerville through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Outreach Project.  

The grant, which totals $35,000 over the next 12 months, will be used to allocate additional resources to families in underrepresented communities and will provide opportunities for children to participate in SYS programs.  These resources include covering the full cost of registration, insurance, equipment, uniforms, and other competition-related items as well as providing financial assistance to families in covering transportation expenses during the fall and spring seasons of play.  Additionally, SYS will establish new infrastructure throughout the city designed to provide information and assist with program registration for families in four languages:  English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.

“This grant is a game-changer for SYS and will assist us in expanding our outreach throughout the city,” SYS President Dominic Lachowicz said.  “Our organization’s mission is to provide the opportunity for any child who wants to play soccer with the chance to do so, and these resources will help us continue that.  We are extremely grateful to Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City’s ARPA team for their belief in our mission and for their support of our organization.”

SYS has a dedicated Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee that is chaired by DEI Officer Ivan Abarca, who has worked tirelessly with city and community leaders to provide opportunity and access for families who wish to participate In SYS programming throughout the year.  This includes not only competition during the traditional fall and spring seasons—it also includes the establishment of the popular Won World Soccer Camp that instills both a love of soccer and a thirst for academic success for children in grades 1-4.  Additionally, the organization is proud to welcome Taylor Twellman, a former United States Men’s National Team standout and the New England Revolution’s all-time leading scorer, to Somerville for a three-day clinic in late August for children in grades 1-8.

“This grant will open many doors for SYS not only during the coming year, but for many years to come,” Lachowicz said.  “Our goals are simple—to provide any child in our city with the chance to be part of a special community whose core principles are guided in community and competition.  We welcome the many opportunities that lie ahead.”

Late last month, Mayor Ballantyne announced the award of $10 million by the City of Somerville to more than 35 local nonprofit groups to help strengthen and grow their organization and programming. The $10 million distribution is part of the City’s investment of its federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation to support community organizations. 

"Building a city that supports progress for all doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes thoughtful and collaborative partnerships with our nonprofit community,” said Mayor Ballantyne. “Whether their focus is food accessibility, healthcare, career development, or cultural growth, these organizations are out in Somerville every day, tirelessly assisting our residents. Their commitment and dedication have made a tremendous impact in our community, and with these funds, we are demonstrating our unwavering support for their continued efforts."

This round of funding allowed nonprofits to individually determine where funding was most needed in order to best serve community members. As a result, the $10 million will support both specific new projects and general capacity building for the Somerville nonprofit community. Awarded projects address the funding priorities identified in the community engagement process including: 

Housing

Youth Services

Economic Development

Infrastructure Improvements

Community Programming

Funded projects, which range from creating a science club for young women interested in STEM, to the Magoun Square & Winter Hill commercial district revitalization, and expanding the Cambridge Health Alliance’s mobile medicine program for unhoused persons, also align with the Mayor's ARPA Advisory Committee recommendation that between 60% and 80% of funds be spent on the high-priority areas of housing, youth services, economic development, and infrastructure.

To see the full list of awardees and distribution allotments, please visit: somervillema.gov/arpa

About ARPA

The City of Somerville has been allocated $77,504,170 from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to aid in local pandemic recovery efforts. Informed by input from nearly 2,000 survey responses, dozens of focus groups, two public forums, and a 14-member advisory committee, the City has been designating ARPA funds for a wide range of recovery purposes. To date, all ARPA funding has been allocated to pandemic recovery efforts ranging from direct aid for households to critical infrastructure investments. Of those allocations, more than $16,800,000 has been granted to Somerville nonprofits to administer emergency pandemic-related relief programs. 

To learn more about the City’s current ARPA projects and funding parameters, visit somervillema.gov/arpa. 

This Is Somerville Youth Soccer

The Somerville Youth Soccer Association is a volunteer organization founded in the Fall of 1990 by a small group of parents working with the Somerville Recreation Commission. At the time, Somerville had no organized program for youth soccer. Many Somerville children were registered to play in Medford, Cambridge, and Arlington. By the Fall of 1991 a formal Board of Directors with officers was established. The Association’s by-laws and constitution were adopted in January of 1992 and revised in June 2022.

As the largest youth sports organization in the city of Somerville, SYS provides the chance for youth ages 2-18 to participate in playing opportunities in three different programs:  Tykes (ages 2-3), In-Town (Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grade) and Travel (grades 3-11). In the spring of 2023, SYS had a record 1,341 registrants in the programs listed above.  Last year, 1-in-4 students in Somerville Public Schools were members of SYS. 

SYS works tirelessly to provide any child who wishes to play in our programs with the opportunity to do so.  Our mission is to serve the youth of our city and represent a diverse community that includes families who speak four different languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole).  Through the generosity of our sponsors and partners across the city landscape, we weave a love for the game with a passion for our community.

This past year, over 250 volunteers served in various roles throughout the organization, including in coaching, leadership, and administrative positions.  SYS has expanded its outreach with a dedicated Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion that communicates regularly with families throughout the city.

For more information, please visit our official website at www.somervillesoccer.org.