KENMORE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Beyond Borders Athletics, a nonprofit in Buffalo, is breaking down financial barriers for soccer players in Western New York, making a habit of hosting free tournaments for underserved players.
Participating in an organized tournament is not a typical experience for everyone, mainly because joining a club team or a tournament could cost families thousands of dollars.
“Many times, people, we can’t play in tournaments. Many people don’t have the money, and many people can’t join the big clubs," 17-year-old Suraj Tamang said.
Aweso Noor, a former Kenyan refugee who moved to Buffalo in 2004 and has since turned into a Bennett High School soccer coach, is looking to give out opportunities to play soccer through his nonprofit, Beyond Borders Athletics.
Friday, Noor organized a free, two-day soccer tournament for 180 kids from across the area. He says many of the kids are from refugee and inner‑city families.
"It is free for all the kids," Noor said. "I’ve always wanted to give back to my community, because there’s so much talent here."
Noor grouped the participants into teams randomly, intentionally forcing them to play with other kids they had just met.
"I love that format, because the kids get to meet so many new people," Noor said.
"You get here, you know nobody, we just know each other through soccer," 16-year-old Mihotho Abdias said. "Yeah, during the high school soccer season, some of [my friends] are here, and there are new ones I’m making friends with because we played on the same team.”
"We wouldn’t have a tournament like this around. Everybody would just be at home. I’m very excited and very happy Coach Aweso would put this together," 16-year-old David Mwenda said. "This is like family. We all just come and play and have fun."
Noor tells me he hopes to have a minimum of two of these tournaments every year. Friday’s was just the second he’s ever hosted.
If you’re interested in signing your kids up, you’ll find information on the Beyond Borders Athletics website or by emailing Noor at beyondbordersathletics1@gmail.com.
