♪♪ The Homeless World Cup is a soccer tournament with purpose, bringing attention and hope to those who experience homelessness.

Sacramento is the first American city to host this event, and joining us today to talk about it are Street Soccer USA Sacramento's Lisa Wrightsman and Tiffany Fraser.

Lisa, what exactly is a Homeless World Cup?

The Homeless World Cup is an international street soccer tournament, seven day long initiative, um, that's designed to change the attitudes and perceptions of homelessness while bringing new solutions to the world, um, through 51 nations and about 500 players competing in the seven day, fast-style street soccer game.

51 nations participate in this tournament?

51 nations, um, are all members of the Homeless World Cup and, um, through invitations and applications, are eligible to participate in each annual event.

Um, yes, and they all have these teams made up of individuals who have recently been homeless, um, and are now representing their countries and the hope that, um, they have achieved in overcoming it.

Mmhmm.

Tiffany, one of the questions that immediately rises up is what is the relationship between homelessness and soccer?

Uh, uh, for some of us, it doesn't necessarily seem like an intuitive connection.

Yeah.

Um, very fair question.

So, the tournament itself started, um, about- I think it was 20 years ago was the first edition of the tournament, and, um, it came from the founders having gone to a conference about homelessness.

And they were avid soccer fans and... and players, um, and what they knew as... as having experienced sport is the community, the, um, camaraderie, the motivation, the... the- those soft skills that come from being a part of a team, and how dramatically influential that can be in your ability to... to progress in your life.

So, knowing what they knew about sport, about soccer in particular, and how being a part of a team can really be an instrumental part of your life, they married that with their passion and understanding around the issue of homelessness and, um, really created a tournament around this to... to be able to show that sport can really help advance your life.

And it is all those soft skills that you learn from being a part of a team that some of us don't even realize we're learning while we're in it.

Yeah.

The other thing the tournament highlights is it allows us to see individuals, um, with their strengths and abilities.

So, we have a lot of respect for athletes that are, you know- the Kings, for example.

We see them strong, they're fast, they're confident, they're powerful.

So, this tournament allows us to look at individuals in that light, with their strengths and abilities and... and their power, um, rather than what we might see on the streets and how we perceive homelessness.

Those are not the characteristics that we would identify that with, um, but- and the reality is most individuals have these qualities within themselves.

We get to display that in an event like this, to let other people see that side of them as well.

One thing that immediately comes up when you say that, Lisa, is what's the impact on the players?

You... you both have participated in previous world- uh, Homeless World Cups.

What have you all- you both witnessed in terms of the impact of participating in this event, having on some of the individuals, uh, that have been a part of it?

Yeah.

You know, as someone- I was a player in 2010 and that was a part of my journey in getting sober, and participating in the actual event was mind blowing for me.

It gave me a point of reference of how I wanted to live my life for the rest of my life.

And an example is that- is how I was treated, how I interacted, how I showed up and how I communicated, um, and the people that I met and what they saw in me.

They saw a version in me that I don't feel like I got to show in Sacramento, where I was from, with my family, because of my past.

So, the event allowed me to have a vision of a life that I really wanted and was- would be fulfilled with.

Um, it gave me value and... and with that, it's like I took all of these amazing experience at the tournament, and that was just- The street soccer was just part of it.

But then when I came back home, it was like, how do I recreate my surroundings to emulate what I experienced in that tournament?

And that was a lot of relationships, that was me staying sober, um, that was me working with others and giving back and being engaged in the community.

Um, and... and that's what we see with the players.

Leading up to that, I was a part of a program where we had regular, consistent practices, and that allowed me to be in a position to receive those experiences at the Homeless World Cup, you know, kind of get the basics, do the consistency, do the work.

And then there's this "aha!"

Like, whoa, this is- the world is big and my life can be big, and now I know how to get there and it's by doing the same things that I did in the beginning.

The... the only other thing I'd add is for the players and the experience that they're having, um, all of the players have been a part of a... of a member country's nonprofit organization that is a partner with the Homeless World Cup, um, meaning that they've been making these strides in their life, whether it's sobriety or leaving a domestic violence situation or dealing with, um, you know, just extreme conditions.

And so, they've been making some very difficult decisions leading up to this, and a lot of this tournament allows, um, us to celebrate those goals they're scoring off the field as well as on the field.

And this is a moment where they get to celebrate that and are being cheered for, are being praised, are being welcomed.

And that, um, experience is not something that... that everybody has had.

Some... some of us have had that before, but for some people, they've never been cheered for, they've never been welcomed.

And, um, so, when you think about impact on a person, um, that has tremendous impact on how someone even considers himself in... in the world when they're being cheered for, for the first time.

Now, Street Soccer, uh, USA and Street Soccer Sacramento, uh, which is a affiliate of... of the National, is the host for this Homeless World Cup.

You know, there are lots of big cities in this country, uh, you know, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York.

And how did we get so fortunate as to be able to land this international event?

Yeah, um, this... this event has taken place in some amazing places around the world- at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, in Zócalo Square, and, um, the U.S. has been a consideration for a number of years.

And... and we've looked at New York, we looked at San Francisco, L.A., um, but the consideration pieces for a host city, um, include that there's a strong local chapter, there's strong community support and partnership, both private and government, um, and nonprofit, frankly.

And when we looked at our various chapters of Street Soccer USA, um, and the communities surrounding it, Sacramento really stood out above the rest, in... in part also because of this fantastic relationship and partnership that we have with Sacramento State coming into the picture as well and providing world class facilities for these athletes, um, to participate in.

So, it was a combination of having, you know, local partnerships, um, and- You know, something we take for granted is, uh, to folks outside of the U.S., there's... there's almost nothing more Americana than a college campus with a beautiful stadium, with the uprights and, uh, you know, just the beautiful campus that Sacramento State is.

That's feedback that we got when they were looking at different spaces.

Um, and so, we kind of had this amazing combination of a thriving chapter within Street Soccer USA Sacramento, and then the partnerships of Sac State and the other local partnerships and support we have here.

I'd say too, with the- The Homeless World Cup's inception came from trying to solve a problem.

It was like, you know, strong communities who care, are into compassion and have empathy, but unable to get people off of the streets or to get them to utilize resources that re-engage in the community.

I think Sacramento is... is perfect in that we... we know we have a problem, but we actually want to address it.

So, the Homeless World Cup is... is not designed to put a nice bow on the issue and push it under the rug.

This is designed to face a challenging issue in the community and bring solutions to it, but try to unify the community and do it together.

Um, and that's... that's why it's here in Sacramento, because we have leadership and we have a business community and we have leaders like, um, President Nelson, who want to address the issue and they want to deal with it and they want to make it better.

Um, and I think that's really the true reason why it's in Sacramento versus other U.S. cities, is we have those people who want to take a look and make this better.

Well, thank you for- both of you for sharing that, because, uh, the first thing that comes to mind is that I would as- homelessness is not necessarily an issue that, uh, city leaders, whether in the public or the private sector, find, uh, is one that they enjoy talking about all that much.

And so, um, for Sacramento to host this event through your organization, some cities, I would assume, would say, "That's an issue we don't really want to highlight because we've got issues with it."

And Sacramento has been, uh, highlighted- and some would say criticized- in the press throughout the United States and, actually, around the world because of its very stubborn homelessness problem.

And so, actually putting a bigger spotlight on the issue seems, um, a... a bit courageous, maybe one that, I...

I'm curious, maybe other cities didn't want.

Yeah, absolutely.

No, I mean, it- Uh, as we all know, it's hard to look at something that you're struggling with and having a hard time addressing.

I mean, um, everything around this tournament has that undertone to it, right?

Like, all the players had to address some really tough things and face some challenging things.

And so, that is an undertone of... of that, and it is in the nature of the... the host city's, you know, courage to... to look at something that is challenging and that they're struggling with.

But I think part of that homelessness conversation fatigue is because the conversation is... is really limited to just looking at maybe what you might see, you know, on the street versus really also considering some of the hope and some of the success and some of the, um, really inspiring stories of, um, of folks really progressing out of that situation.

That... that aspect is not often talked about and how to address that.

Well... well, Lisa, help- um, respond to the notion that I'm sure that some in the community might have that, um, bringing more, uh, attention to this issue- those dollars and... and that focus on this sporting event- really comes at the expense of the hard work that exists today and will exist after the tournament to tru... to truly move people from homelessness into new lives.

Yeah, it's a great question or comment on that.

I mean, the... the reality is we're going to invest- be investing in this for a little while.

How we invest in that is up to us.

Um, but what we know about the nature of folks experiencing homelessness, especially the ones on the street and the... the chronic homelessness, is there's a lot more to their challenges and their success than just changing their environment.

So... so, just changing their circumstance, that may be housing them, um, or putting them somewhere else, we know for a fact that that will not be sustainable.

So, what we want to shine light on is really understanding what is laying within the humans that are experiencing this.

Um, how do we address that while also find these long term ways to be supportive and to keep them from kind of hitting this cycle where they, you know, find a little bit of success and fall back into the system?

And those are things that we- It's... it's complicated.

And what we've found is that the easiest way to kind of tell that story and get someone to connect is by hearing another person talking about it, telling them their story, seeing them- seeing the potential and the capacity that another person has to operate at a high level, where we don't get that opportunity to see them when they're camping on the streets or they're in a shelter.

Their day-to-day functions don't tell us that they're capable of more.

And so, I think that's a big problem that- in just our solutions in general, is... is I don't know what people really believe the capacity is, um, for re-engaging a lot of these folks experiencing homeless in the community.

I know that we've had, you know- We've met a lot of people, but their contributions to the community, when we can work with them to, you know, find themselves, heal themselves, discover their own strengths and take that forward into their lives, it was a huge community asset.

So, I think what we're not asking ourselves is, 'What do we have to gain by re-engaging a lot of these folks?'

um, outside of, 'What's the cost of it?'

Yes, there's a cost.

There's a cost to everything.

But are we going to just try to fix the... the aesthetics or do we want to fix the structure?

And I think to get people to fix the structure, they have to believe that... that there's an opportunity, and that is hard to see from the- what we are experiencing in Sacramento.

At face value, it's hard to know what can... can go, you know, beyond there.

Um, and I do think that, you know, when we bring folks from around the world, this... this problem is not a Sacramento problem.

This is a global problem.

And we- It's hard to remember that, because we're only in Sacramento and we're seeing it so much.

But these are... these are issues that everybody is experiencing.

So, like, yes, maybe we're not doing it the best, but not looking at it and being ashamed and carrying that shame around, that's not helping us either.

So, we need to just, like, hear what other people are doing, talk to these individuals, be reminded of what actually works, what actually helps an individual grab on to their life and want to be a part of the community and want to do better, because those tools are available to us.

We need the other infrastructure, but, um, I think we want to... to educate our community, um, and really share with them what is it like to be in this situation, and hear firsthand what is it that helps someone move out of that?

Um, we do it through street soccer, but I assure you that there's... there's many other ways to do that.

Um, but we have to get united around this effort.

Um, it's going to cost us something somewhere, so it's what do we have to gain out of it?

Right.

I- You know, one of the things that this event brings to mind- and I'm sure that, um, this is a question you get asked often- is this.

This is the Homeless World Cup, and people are going to be traveling, uh, all over the world to come to Sacramento.

But homelessness- a... a part of homelessness is a lack of resources.

How do people actually have the resources, the players, to actually travel here and participate in this event?

Where does all that come from, Tiffany?

Yeah, so, um, the Homeless World Cup Foundation exists to really have all these member countries that, again, are- um, have nonprofits within their local communities- so, Street Soccer Scotland, Street Soccer USA.

Um, and it is those local nonprofits that- they fund for the players- they fundraise for the players to travel.

So, in Street Soccer USA, when we've traveled to previous Homeless World Cups, our nonprofit is doing the fundraising in order to arrive to the Homeless World Cup, and then it is that host city, in partnership with the Homeless World Cup Foundation, that exists to put on the tournament.

So, the players, themselves, the price that they're paying is the hard work that they're doing in showing up every day to practice and... and the progress they're making in their lives.

And then, it's the nonprofit partners that are fundraising to ensure that these players get to have this experience.

And so, I assume the foundation is taking care of flights, hotels, they're going to be staying here locally, all that sort of thing.

Yeah, it's a huge... it's a huge lift, and... and that's, you know, between the host country and the Homeless World Cup Foundation, um, and the partners that... that they have to put this event on every year.

Mmhmm.

Tiffany, I'm...

I'm also curious, Lisa talked about, um, her experience as a player.

What has this event meant to you?

Um, well, I was not a player.

I was introduced to Street Soccer USA as a volunteer and, um, have been maybe every role but a player since.

Um, and, uh- You know, to me, I...

I was introduced when I was, um, a couple of years out of college.

I played soccer at Sac State and, you know, played a little bit afterwards, um, semi-pro and, you know, then started my professional career.

Um, but for me, it... it has existed as a place where, I mean, these 24 years I had of experience leading up to this, meeting Street Soccer USA, it gave me a place to kind of pour all of that into.

You know?

Um, when I saw the value that it was to teach someone else something as small as passing a ball and having a connection with someone, um, that was really hard to walk away from.

I mean, I had spent so many years dedicating, uh, time to this and to see what that meant to someone else, um- and that was just one skill and one connection point- um, that exchange really is what hooked me in.

And then, I mean, frankly, seeing then six months later, my first Homeless World Cup and... and seeing how the world can come together over something like soccer, I mean, it was... it was unbelievable to me, uh, that something like that could really- like, "a ball could change the world," is what we say.

And so, um, yeah, it's... it's... it's been tremendous.

And I've been to ten Homeless World Cups since and- as a coach or as a manager, um, to cheer on the U.S. team and, uh, yeah, it's... it's been a- become a part of our lives and, um, I anticipate that it will be for the go forward.

And... and when you'd- you mentioned connection.

Lisa, uh, locally, one of the things that, um, you and Tiffany are... are most known for was your, uh, spearheading the creation of a soccer field downtown.

Give us how, um, the work that Street Soccer USA Sacramento is doing connects to this entire movement.

Yeah.

Um, the Street Soccer USA Park is a huge milestone for us, and that actually reflects and it's very visible of the work that we're doing.

Prior to that, um, our mission has always been to work with adults experiencing homelessness and the, you know, at-risk or really low income youth who don't have access to sports games and the value of that.

And it's always about trying to offer something for people to recognize their own strengths and abilities, to take those out into the world.

Um, when we first started working with our women- um, women's team that was experiencing homelessness, you know, we were in parking lots and really, like, just had a... a ball and a couple of cones that we could use goals for.

And that was just as impactful for those individuals, you know, um, then, but now that we've grown, the... the park allows us to connect these parts of the community that don't necessarily cross paths and interact.

And when everyone's playing at the Street Soccer Park, in any given day, we'll have kids from the neighborhood, we'll have adults that are experiencing homelessness now or recently, and then your everyday people who... who just need a place to feel, um, connected and have fun and know that they're going to have friends.

But in that space, everybody's just a soccer player.

Um, it's very simple.

And... and that's what that, um, has shown us, too.

We've been surprised at the diversity that continues to happen, whether people are refugees or they're business owners or they're restaurant owners or, you know, they, um, they've- coming out of rehab on the one night they can go out and go do something positive.

But, um, it does connect us, and that place is going off every night of the week.

And, you know, we have about 300 new friends.

And I think anyone that steps into that space, they feel like they leave with, you know, a lot of new friends they didn't have before.

And so... so, we see the power of it every day, um, definitely.

Well, I...

I would say, too, that the location that we chose, um, and, uh, landed on is pretty key.

We're right across the street from Seavey Circle and Muir Park, which are two of the oldest projects in Sacramento and we had previously been doing, um, doing our Street Soccer work there.

And so, the accessibility for that community was key and walking distance... walking distance or a short ride for people downtown.

Um, and, you know, it... it's a pretty amazing thing when we know most of the people there and you have a city council member or, uh, other, you know, business owner who's asking for a sub from one of our refugee players or one of our homeless- They have no clue who it is, but the value that everyone has is... is a leveled playing field that we don't quite see outside of that space.

And one thing I want to add, Scott, is to kind of give context to the experience and the value of the Homeless World Cup for the players, is... is none of this existed in Sacramento.

Street Soccer USA didn't exist.

There was no Street Soccer Park.

There was no kids programs, there was no adult programs.

Um, I was one of the first players.

You know?

And I went to a Homeless World Cup and I had that seven day experience, and then came back, and... and my story was the only asset that I had to tell people.

You know, we started out with, like, $0 in the... in the bank as a fundraiser.

Um, and over the years, like, me being able to tell my story and others being able to tell their stories, like, that's- that was the power of the testimony.

Um, and now, we have, you know, these awesome spaces in the community and opportunities for everyone.

And so, that's kind of what we want people to have when they come to this event, is we want 500 of these athletes to have an experience where they can go transform and add back into their communities too, with just their story to start.

And I think that we're going to leave it there.

Real quick.

Uh, the location of the... of the local park is where?

X and Eighth Street.

In downtown Sacramento.

Yes.

- Thank you both.

Good luck on the... on the Homeless World Cup.

And, uh, we look to see some very exciting games, actions and transformations.

- Thank you so much.

- Thank you so much, Scott.

All right.

And that's our show.

Thanks to our guests and thanks to you for watching Studio Sacramento.

See you next time right here on KVIE.

♪♪ All episodes of Studio Sacramento, along with other KVIE programs, are available to watch online at kvie.org/video.