Mission:
The RAVE Foundation is committed to building small fields for free play and investing in programs that use soccer to inspire the youth and strengthen communities. They also strive to support and collaborate with organizations and groups that use soccer as the primary way to address the guiding principles of leadership, inclusion, health, and empowerment.
Core Strategies
1. Use soccer as a motive to empower and inspire communities
2. Remove the barriers to participation that exist on and off the field
3. Support and strengthen communities.
A soccer ball is your invitation: By providing a soccer ball for every child, we hope it brings happiness and a lifetime of healthy life choices. A soccer ball can help a child become more physically active and help them grow in creativity and confidence. We give every child a soccer ball with the desire to grow the community to be more inclusive, healthy, safe, and active.
Programs
One Ball One Mile: Delta Airlines will donate one ball to a child through the RAVE Foundation for every mile the team runs during the regular season
RAVE Octagon: Create a culture of inclusive, pop-up, free soccer play. The goal is to create a culture of inclusive pick-up soccer. You can play soccer anywhere if you define field boundaries and bring a ball. The RAVE Octagon is a transferable pop-up cage-like field that allows soccer to be played anywhere. RAVE created the octagon to show people all the diverse ways to construct a soccer field in many locations. The shape of the octagon increases a kid’s creativity and skill work.
Camps and Clinics: The RAVE Foundation partners with Sounders FC Academy to provide free camps and clinics to its target communities, with the goal of making sure every child has the chance to play soccer and have some fun and competition.
RAVE/Sounders FC Sports Media Institute: Gives middle school students in underserved communities a chance to learn from the Sounders FC media experts and gain beneficial life and educational skills. This program is available by application only.
Science of Soccer: Instructs kids about science, math, technology, and engineering while using soccer as the main subject. You can learn more about this program by emailing rave@soundersfc.com
Saves for Youth: For every save the Sounders make, WaFd Bank will donate $250 to the RAVE Foundation. During the 2021 season, 79 saves were made and $19,750 was donated.
Goals for Art: At every RAVE field, the goals are made of public art that reflects the community. Children create a design that exhibits the community they come from. The RAVE Foundation produces an eight- week after school art program. In this 8-week club, students can explore various art and design techniques with a professional artist and the Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
Health Community Heroes: To acknowledge the value of volunteering and serving in the community, Sounders FC and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health award players and young kids as Humanitarians of the Year. The individuals that are chosen for these awards are selected by a panel of judges and really stand out from their fellow peers.
Goals for Zero Hunger: For every goal scored by the Seattle Sounders during the season, Fred Meyer stores will donate $250 to the RAVE Foundation to help provide groceries for families in underserved communities. During this past season, 53 goals were scored and $13,250 was donated.
Goals of the RAVE Foundation
26 Fields by 2026: The goal of the RAVE Foundation is to use soccer to impact the health and overall well-being of the youth in the Seattle Region. By the year 2026, the goal is to have a place with multiple fields where the children can play soccer for free and benefit from everything soccer offers to support them. The goal is to have 26 fields by 2026. These fields will be placed in communities where there is a lack of access to play and green grass. These fields will use soccer to positively impact children from preschool to high school in three key areas, which are health, learning, and career.
Defend the Right to Play: The RAVE Foundation supports the right that everyone has a right to play regardless of their skin color, where they live, their family income, and their physical abilities. The right to play is a human right. Our vision is to create many opportunities where kids can play soccer freely and for free. We believe children are our greatest resource and we use soccer to support the youth. A donation to RAVE Foundation means more kids get to play and participate in programs that use soccer to support their physical, emotional, and mental wellness.
RAVE Partners
Leadership:
Soccer is a sport that requires leadership, commitment, and communicating effectively with your teammates. Leadership can be performed by an action or by voice. Soccer is a sport that teaches a variety of ways of leadership. The leadership partners of the foundation use soccer to mentor and inspire young leaders.
Inclusion:
Soccer is an extremely diverse sport and is played all over the world. The inclusion and diversity partners promote inclusion through the game of soccer.
Health:
Soccer players can cover up to 10 miles in one 90-minute match. Soccer is a sport that promotes physical activity and healthy nutrition. The health partners at RAVE show the kids the benefits of being physically active and eating healthy.
Empowerment:
Soccer teaches teamwork, sportsmanship, communication skills, and creativity. It also teaches young kids how to work hard. Our empowerment partners help kids express themselves on and off the field and help them become influencers of change in their respective communities.
Sponsors, Donors, and Funders
