Soccer in the Streets, a non-profit organization based in Atlanta that promotes the sport for inner-city youth, has been selected as one of the 2020 winners of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Sports Award. The winners receive a $25,000 cash award and were honored at a virtual ceremony earlier this month.

Other recipients were AGE UP, Border Youth Tennis Exchange, Running Medicine, and the United States Association of Blind Athletes.

The award recognizes and honors those in the sport who display an innovative and collaborative approach to making their communities a healthier place to live. This includes sports teams, athletes and community-based organizations that use sports as a platform to address many of the root causes that influence health and health equity.
Soccer in the Streets, whose motto is “Using Soccer for Social Change,”  has reframed health equity around transit hubs in the inner city by repurposing unused land in the heart of Atlanta to be more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
“Soccer in the Streets and our Station Soccer partners are both humbled and honored for this prestigious recognition,” says Sanjay Patel, director of strategic projects for Soccer in the Streets. “History tells us the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has impacted many communities and winning this year's RWJF Sports Award means we are making positive strides in the health, equity, and social justice space, we are very proud to accept this award.”

Among the other recipients:

• All Girl Everything Ultimate Program (AGE UP) is engaging South Seattle youth of color through their love of ultimate frisbee and their commitment to equity and social justice.
• Border Youth Tennis Exchange (BYTE) is a binational youth development organization that provides athletic and tech-based academic instruction to children on both sides of the US/Mexico border. In this way, BYTE services support resilient cross-border communities and promote a positive appreciation for the border region.
• Running Medicine offers family-oriented walking and running programs for Native-Americans in Albuquerque creating a culture of health that is available to all people regardless of ability, age, fitness level, or ability to pay.
• The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) uses adaptive sports to assist and support individuals who are blind and visually impaired.