As soccer season hits Notre Dame’s campus, players and students are using one of the world’s most popular games to help Grassroot Soccer in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Grassroot Soccer, Inc. (GRS) is a charitable organization founded in 2002 to increase HIV and AIDS education in Africa. One of the founders, Dr. Tommy Clark, is the son of Bobby Clark, head coach of the Irish men’s soccer team. Using the universal appeal of soccer, GRS seeks to “get the message out about healthy behavior and the risks of HIV,” as well as to “break stigmas, dramatically increase awareness, change behaviors, and turn the tide against HIV.”
GRS’s goal is to educate one million African children by the 2014 World Cup, and it has educated over 400,000 youths in HIV prevention since its foundation. The organization relies on its Social Learning Theory, which includes using positive role models and community involvement to reach out to children regarding HIV awareness. With an annual budget of $4.2 million, Grassroot Soccer works with organizations in both the United States and Africa to achieve its goals of stopping the spread of HIV and creating an AIDS-free generation.
“The vast majority of the information we provide is about delaying the onset of sex (abstinence) and for those who are sexually active, reducing the number of partners,” Clark stated in an email to The Rover. “There is little data to support condom promotion as an effective way to prevent HIV in a generalized epidemic such as exists in Africa.”
Notre Dame is doing its part to help Grassroot Soccer in a number of ways. For the eighth consecutive season, the men’s soccer team hosted a match to benefit GRS. On August 22, the team played Creighton in its final pre-season exhibition, and collected donations for Grassroot Soccer at the gates, promising to match the proceeds dollar for dollar. The Irish played the Bluejays to a 2-2 tie.
According to senior defender Michael Knapp, supporting Grassroot Soccer is something the team has done every year, and he recognizes the importance of such activities.
“We understand how blessed we are to play at Notre Dame and enjoy all of the facilities the team has,” he said. “It’s important that we work to help those in need in any way we can.”
“We have been working closely with the Notre Dame men’s soccer game for a decade now,” Clark said. “It has been a great relationship and a good example of student athletes taking a leadership role on campus.”
In addition to collecting donations, Notre Dame is hosting its third annual Lose the Shoes Tournament. Lose the Shoes is a three-on-three barefoot soccer tournament intended to raise funds and awareness for Grassroot Soccer. Scheduled for September 12, 14, and 16, the opening rounds of the tournament will be played on South Quad, with the semifinal and final rounds during both halftime of the women’s game against Louisville and the men’s game against Michigan on September 16.
Since 2006, students from over 100 schools world-wide have held Lose the Shoes Tournaments to support Grassroot Soccer. To date, these tournaments have raised over $200,000 to support the GRS cause in Africa. The organization has recently joined together with (RED), one of the most recognizable brands in the fight against AIDS. Together they hope to expand the Lose the Shoes movement to more clubs and schools around the world.
For a donation of $10 per player, teams can sign to up play in the Notre Dame Lose the Shoes Tournament in support of Grassroot Soccer and their efforts to promote HIV and AIDS education and prevention in Africa. Teams can register at studentshop.nd.edu. To learn more about Grassroot Soccer, check out www.grassrootsoccer.org.