Beyond Soccer

06/20/2026

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Thanks to The Salem News sports editor Matt Williams for learning about our 15-year journey that started with Stephanie and her mom, for sharing the exciting news of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund grant, and for interviewing our staff and coach mentors, whose stories are woven throughout.

Here are some snippets from the 📰published this week.

Declan Murphy, Beyond Soccer's Impact Coordinator (recent Westfield State University graduate), joined the program around age 12. His sister was part of its first team, so he's basically been around it ever since. "The connection from soccer is so strong that it breaks the language barrier," said Murphy. "That high five on the field? It's universal."

18-year-old Arabella Sseyondo (heading to UMass Lowell for business) has been around since she was 4. "Personally, I always had more confidence on the field than I did in school, so I'm always reinforcing that for our kids. I want to empower them," she said. "I met my best friend in this program, and she's like a sister to me. So it truly is a family."

And it's not just coaching and tutoring that keep people involved. Andy Guzman (Junior at Boston College) started as a junior coach and tutor, then found a way to give back through his other passion, photography. He's been behind the camera assisting with digital media ever since: "I really enjoy looking at those moments, catching those celebrations and high fives so that we have the memories," including 📸 in the article.

Full story here: https://www.salemnews.com/sports/global-force-beyond-soccer-chosen-for-fifa-grant-celebrates-15-years/article_e664cd77-a654-4c48-af2d-4778a3fb3d20.html

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When Masconomet alum Stephanie McArdle launched Beyond Soccer 15 years ago, she never could have imagined that the men’s FIFA World Cup would come to Boston ... or that her

06/18/2026

This spring, Beyond Soccer made history! 5 travel teams advanced to the Essex County Youth Soccer playoffs, and today we're celebrating one of those teams: the 7th and 8th-grade Wolverines, who battled hard but were recently knocked out in a close game.

This team is built on connection and confidence, thanks in large part to Melissa's steady leadership. She's been with us for 14 years. Under her guidance, the Wolverines have developed into stronger, more competitive athletes, growing in skill, toughness, and belief in themselves on the field.

The Wolverines communicate constantly, on and off the field, with hundreds of messages flowing through their team's WhatsApp group each week. Parents send words of encouragement, and players share photos from team outings, celebrate graduating seniors, sign up for leadership conferences, and take part in the Resilient Girls curriculum together. They coordinate post game family cookouts, and right now, they're lining up their end of season get together at Level 99.

This is exactly why we do this work. We're proud of this team and the community that surrounds them. ⚽🧡💙

06/15/2026

Wow, it's been a busy few days... between the French national team experience and our own action-packed weekend, we're just now catching up. And we think this 📸captures exactly why it's all worth it. Four future stars, brand new New Balance kicks in hand, and smiles that say it all.

From our weekly M-Th practices, plus Saturday and Sunday games for 600 kids, this regular season has been one to remember. And we're not done yet.

For the first time in Beyond Soccer history, 5 teams have qualified for the Essex County Youth Soccer playoffs. Tonight, we're cheering on the Boys Grade 8 Thunder and Grade 6 Eagles as they take the field in Wenham. More updates to come as the week unfolds.

A great season. Even better things ahead. ⚽🧡💙

06/13/2026

Yesterday, thanks to an invitation from Boston World Cup 2026 Host City, a group of 10 Beyond Soccer players plus 4 Coach Mentors headed to Bentley UniversityUniversity for a training session with Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association, Inc., then watched the French National Team train -- and met them. Yes, THE French National Team, including Kylian Mbappé, arguably one of the world's greatest soccer players. Équipe de France de Football

Our girls also got to meet soccer legend Kristine Lilly, who played for the U.S. Women's National Team for 23 years. As you can see, the girls did a better job capturing photos 🙂 But the boys had some great interviews (coming soon!)

The WhatsApp messages flying through our group chat afterward said it all, with grateful parents chiming in too. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. These kids are inspired. Not just about the World Cup, but about continuing to play, get better, and connect with this game they love.

They'll never forget this one. And honestly? Neither will we. ⚽🧡💙🇺🇸 🇾🇪

06/11/2026

- Our kids are ready for the World Cup, and this 🎥 video shows exactly why. 🌍⚽

On the last practice day for in-city and travel players who are not playoff-bound (stay tuned!), this group of 1st-4th-grade players gathered on the field and juggled together. A simple moment that captured something we talk about all the time at Beyond Soccer: the game is a doorway to better health and belonging, classroom effort, and community pride. And teamwork is at the center of it all.

We're so happy to be doing this work! And as a recipient of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund grant, it also means participating in its program. Through its partnership with MetLife, $5 is donated for every qualifying juggling post — supporting a fund we're grateful to be part of.

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06/09/2026

Last week, a group of our older female players attended the 11th Annual Dream Big! Leadership Conference at UMass Boston. There were 250 female student-athletes from urban communities, all in one room.

The day featured 8 women speakers, former athletes now working across medicine, sports administration, journalism, engineering, and more, sharing how sports shaped their paths and the lessons that carried them forward.

We loved seeing our girls secure front-row seats, with hands raised and plenty of questions for the speakers. What made the day even better for our group was watching the 8th graders connect with our high school players and girls from surrounding Boston schools. By the end, they were already telling program leaders, "see you next year." They also went home with some awesome sports gear, always a bonus.

Leading the trip as chaperone was Coach Mentor Melissa of our Wolverines team. Melissa attended one of the first conferences about a decade ago. Now she's the one leading the way.
Thank you, Linda, and the Dream Big! team

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06/08/2026

Summer jobs are fast approaching, and we are so grateful for our continued partnership with MassHire Merrimack Valley Workforce Board! This partnership helps offset youth wages, including younger Tier 1 Jr. Coaches participating in a project-based program. Wait until you learn about what they'll be working on!

Last week, our own Declan attended the 2026 YouthWorks Summer Experience Program Employer Orientation alongside organizations from Lawrence and surrounding areas, including Yalexa of the Lawrence Recreation Department, a close partner. He met with Youth Service Specialists, including Ana, also 📸'd here, and key members of the MassHire team to get our youth organized and ready to hit the ground running on July 6th. Together, we'll support the growth and success of our young people throughout the program. Our Beyond Soccer hires from last summer were even highlighted in the presentation!

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Merrimack Valley Career Center

06/06/2026

It's a ! 🎉🎓

We love it when our WhatsApp groups get flooded with high school and college graduation photos, and this season has been full of them.

Here's one of those pics! It's of Carlos, who just graduated from Lawrence High School and heads off to Northern Essex Community College this fall, where he plans to play soccer. Carlos joined Beyond Soccer in 2015, making him a 10-plus year member of our sports family. He's grown so much through the program, and like Jared, highlighted earlier this week, contributed to the LHS soccer program that made the playoffs for the first time in school history.

Carlos is constantly rallying teammates to get on a soccer field or court whenever possible, including being a leader in our high school travel program, which plays every Sunday --including tomorrow-- where they hope to secure an Essex County Youth Soccer League playoff spot. We're incredibly proud of him and look forward to continuing to support him on the road ahead. Congrats to all of our graduating student athletes. There are so many of you to celebrate!

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06/05/2026

We're incredibly proud to be an official delegation of Festival 26! 🌍 🌎

In exactly one month, a group of Beyond Soccer youth will travel to Boston for 9 days of leadership development, cultural immersion, and sport for good programming—learning and playing alongside more than 400 young people from around the world.

What is Festival 26? It’s a global youth gathering developed to harness the power of sport to create transformative opportunities for young people. Hosted by our friends Boston Scores and with support from Sport dans la Ville, Festival 26 will give all participants the opportunity to expand their cross-cultural knowledge, deepen their understanding of sport for impact, and visit one of the U.S.'s most historical cities (yes, right here in Boston!!) as it plays host to the 2026 World Cup.

We can't wait to get there! To learn more about Festival 26, visit https://www.festival26.org. And check out this 🎥👇

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06/04/2026

🌟 Coach Mentor Spotlight! Meet Jared, a Lawrence High School senior, two-year team captain, and one of our rising Coach Mentors.

Jared provides individualized goalkeeper training with players from 4th grade through high school twice a week. He brings technical instruction alongside strong communication skills, built through his dedication to the sport, including his time at LHS, where he led the team to their first playoff appearance and a first-round win.

Now he's passing all of that on to the next generation. And it doesn't stop at the goal line. Jared steps in for our Saturday In-City Program, lining fields and contributing on the field, too.

This fall, Jared heads to Bentley College with plans to play college soccer. We're proud of everything he's accomplished, and grateful he's giving back this spring and summer before he heads off.

Go Jared. ⚽🧡💙