Children from around the region competed in soccer tournament featuring St. Louis CITY SC goalkeeper Michael Creek
St. Louis CITY SC is committed to making soccer accessible to all children in the St. Louis region. On Saturday, June 10, over 220 participants from across the region competed in the outdoor CITY Cup presented by World Wide Technology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis Don Dallas Soccer Field from 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CITY Cup matches are 5v5 and are made up of at least one member from each Way to Play satellite location to ensure children learn about and from each other. In addition, CITY Cup attendees got the chance to learn skills from and get photos with St. Louis CITY SC goalkeeper Michael Creek. Local personality and St. Louis CITY2 PA Lux St. Lou served as DJ and Master of Ceremonies for the event.
“Soccer and teamwork help children embrace challenges with determination and accountability – values that we believe also make us a stronger community,” said Jim Kavanaugh, CEO of World Wide Technology. “We are excited to partner with St. Louis CITY SC to present CITY Cups and bring soccer-loving families together for friendly competition and celebration.”
In 2021, St. Louis CITY launched the CITY Futures platform to help make soccer accessible to more children in St. Louis. CITY Futures Way to Play presented by BJC HealthCare provides children ages 7-12 the opportunity to participate in no-cost weekly soccer training March-November at one of five locations: North (Ferguson), West (University City), Central (Cardinal Ritter College Prep School), South (Bayless High School) and East (Fairmont City, IL). Way to Play indoor sessions are held at 17 schools across the region from November through March. The Way to Play training model also promotes emotional-social skills development including empathy and compassion, trust, and communication to further improve teamwork.
“St. Louis CITY SC’s CITY Futures goal is not only to make soccer more accessible, but to bring children together from across the region,” said Sascha Bauer, St. Louis CITY director of regional community training and education. “Sports help children learn how to get along better, learn strong emotional and social skills, and build their sense of responsibility and accomplishment. CITY Cups are an important part of their training and development as players – all while having a lot of fun.”
CITY Cup presented by World Wide Technology was hosted at University of Missouri-St. Louis, the official higher education partner of St. Louis CITY SC.
