Compton, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/27/2010 -- Mike Herman, President and founder of Compton United Soccer Club joined 73 passionate individuals representing 48 other committed organizations from across the country for The 4th Annual Urban Soccer Symposium held in Washington DC April 21st – 23rd. The symposium was presented by the Urban Soccer Collaborative and The U.S. Soccer Foundation.

This national event was designed to help develop new programs and strengthen already existing ones who are using soccer as a tool for positive youth development in under-resourced communities. The Urban Soccer Symposium is the only national event that provides resources, trainings, information, and networking opportunities specifically addressing the issues facing these programs. Participants benefited from expert Panel discussions that included continued education in the fields of Fund raising, Strategic Planning, Partnership Development, Coaching Education, Life Skills Programming, and Measurements and Evaluations.

"This was an amazing time to see all of what is happening around the country and world with soccer-based youth development. It was a time of inspiration and challenge" said Herman.

The Urban Soccer Collaborative and the U.S. Soccer Foundation have joined forces to develop strategies, practices, and resources that will yield measurable and sustainable results among the populations of children they strive to serve.

"The response to this symposium is another significant step forward in mobilizing a movement and realizing the potential of soccer to impact positive social change. The compassion and commitment of the local program providers is inspiring. Now we must digest this feast of reason and use it to feed to needs of young people in under resourced communities across the country. Tony Williams, Urban Soccer Collaborative, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The power of soccer to shape the direction of young lives was highlighted by DeAndre Harrison , a youth leader from Soccer in the Streets in Atlanta , Georgia. Speaking as a Symposium panelist DeAndre said " There I was just minding my own business on my way to prison, and these guys showed up rolled a ball out and before I knew it I was saved "

About Compton United Soccer Club
Compton United Soccer Club exists to use soccer for social change and to help the City of Compton live up to its full potential. As the program develops soccer players into top level competitors they are granted opportunities not normally afforded to youth from a community such as Compton. Through Compton United's "Five Stages of Development" (Athletic, Academic, Character, and Leadership Development, for the ultimate goal of Community Development), these urban athletes are grown into college recruits, college graduates, great parents and spouses and business and community leaders. For more info please visit http://www.comptonunited.org.

About the Urban Soccer Collaborative
The mission of the Urban Soccer Collaborative is to support and promote educational soccer programs for children and youth in under served communities through a cooperative platform designed to maximize opportunities, resources, and standards of excellence. Since being founded in 2008 with 10 members , Today the Urban Soccer Collaborative has over 60 member organizations serving over 30,000 children in under resourced communities across the U.S. For more information, please visit http://www.ussoccerfoundation.org/urbansoccerprograms

About the U.S. Soccer Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation was established in 1994 to manage the surplus funds generated by the 1994 FIFA World Cup held in the United States. As the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the U.S., the Foundation has invested more than $51 million in the game, supporting hundreds of projects in every state in the country. The Foundation supports programs and field building projects with a special emphasis on serving youth in economically disadvantaged urban communities. For more information, or to donate online, please visit http://www.ussoccerfoundation.org.

Media Contacts
Compton United Soccer Club, Mike Herman 310.402.2872 mike.herman@comptonunited.org
Urban Soccer Collaborative, Karen Pope, 703.509.3626 urbansoccerinfo@gmail.com

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Compton United Founder, Mike Herman joins White House Celebration Honoring 2010 US Winter Athletes

Compton, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/20/2010 -- On Wednesday at the White House, the President and First Lady will honor the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams that competed in the 2010 Vancouver games. In 2010, 225 athletes won 37 Olympic medals and 13 Paralympic medals, including 9 gold medals.

In the audience at the White House will be Mike Herman, the Founder and President of Compton United Soccer Club. Compton United seeks to use the international sport of soccer to and the resources of US Soccer, develop a new generation of leaders who excel in all aspects of life: mentally, physically, socially, spiritually, and emotionally, to ultimately help develop urban communities into a model of social, economic and spiritual transformation.

Herman is one of ten youth sports leaders from around the country who was invited to the White House through Up2Us, a national coalition of 400 organizations leading the movement to use sports to address critical issues facing youth-- issues like childhood obesity and academic failure. Up2Us is working to assure that one day, all youth, regardless of socioeconomic background, have the opportunity to be engaged by sports that teach them the values and skills that help them achieve goals on the field and in life.

Herman and his wife, Tonya have lived and served in Compton for fifteen years and remain passionate about urban youth development. They founded Compton United Soccer Club to use soccer for social change and helping Compton live up to its full potential. As the program develops soccer players into top level competitors they are granted opportunities not normally afforded to youth from a community such as Compton. Through Compton United's "Five Stages of Development" (Athletic, Academic, Character, and Leadership Development, for the ultimate goal of Community Development), these urban athletes are grown into college recruits, college graduates, great parents and spouses and business and community leaders.

At Wednesday's ceremony, President and Mrs. Obama are also expected to promote the Let's Move campaign to end childhood obesity. One of the main components of this campaign is an effort to increase opportunities for physical activity for youth. By inviting Mike Herman and the fellow youth sports leaders in the Up2Us coalition to Wednesday's event, the White House has demonstrated that the cooperation of grassroots sports organizations is essential in the fight against childhood obesity.

For Herman, a visit to the White House to meet the U.S. Olympic team is an opportunity to demonstrate to the youth he serves that hard work and smart decisions will help them achieve their goals-- the same kind of hard work and smart decisions that led to Olympic success in Vancouver.

Editor's note: During Wednesday's event, Herman will document his experience and is willing to share footage and stories with news outlets.

Contact Mike Herman at mike.herman@comptonunited.org to learn more.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm