UNITED STATES: Salesian Family Youth Center expands youth soccer through partnership
Program fosters discipline, teamwork and healthy personal development
UNITED STATES
(MissionNewswire) The Salesian Family Youth Center, located in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California, has announced a partnership with the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission. This partnership was made possible through the World Cup 2026 Extraordinary Impact Grant supported by the LA84 Foundation. The initiative invests in youth from Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles, communities where access to organized sports is often limited.
With funding from the $26,000 grant, the program has expanded structured soccer programming for more than 80 children per season, aged 9-14. Since September 2025, the initiative has strengthened access to organized leagues and seasonal play, offering many participants their first experience of belonging to a structured team. Beyond competition, the program fosters discipline, teamwork and healthy personal development, reflecting the preventive and educational spirit of Don Bosco.
The heart of the partnership is a shared vision of ensuring that youth from underserved neighborhoods not only play the game they love but also witness it at the highest level. Through the commission, under the leadership of Kathryn Schloessman, 20 young participants from the Salesian Family Youth Center will attend a FIFA World Cup 2026 match in Los Angeles.
A representative said, “For these youth, the experience represents far more than attendance at a global sporting event. It is a moment of inspiration and possibility and an opportunity to see firsthand what dedication, teamwork, and perseverance can achieve on the world stage.”
Founded in 1966, the Salesian Family Youth Center serves more than 2,000 youth annually through educational, recreational and faith-based programs. Guided by its mission to form youth as productive, responsible, and caring citizens, the center supports families and offers safe, nurturing spaces where youth can grow in confidence and hope.
In neighborhoods where many families cannot afford participation in organized sports, soccer has become a powerful tool for inclusion and prevention. It keeps youth active and engaged, builds community, and fosters values that extend beyond the field.
Transportation for the World Cup experience will be provided by the Salesian Family Youth Center, ensuring full accessibility for the selected youth, while the commission will provide match tickets. The collaboration reflects a broader commitment to ensuring that the global impact of the FIFA World Cup 2026 reaches communities that are often overlooked.
The representative added, “As Los Angeles prepares to host the world, this initiative highlights a deeper legacy, not only the celebration of sport, but the transformation of young lives. For the youth of Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles, the journey to the stadium will symbolize opening doors, strengthening dreams, and the conviction that their future, too, can be shaped by opportunity and hope.”
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ANS – United States – World Cup 2026 Grant expands Opportunities for Youth at Salesian Family Youth Center
