Episode 9: Andrew So

Dan Vision that we'd self-righteous become to what it is today for me coming in you know there's some I want to do I want to get kids the chance to play soccer I want to provide mentorship and role models and it was really where the program Where the youth were the families where the community where that took us to what where we Became and where we're still going to as an organization Hey, y'all I'm Reena Badani and I'm Dan Zouter together. We're the host of the Bronx heroes podcast We're so glad you joined us to learn about the many unsung heroes in our beautiful burrow. That is the Bronx and you'll get to meet them here Yep, every week you'll hear a neighborhood hero share about their unique and inspired efforts to uplift our community Making the boogie down Bronx the thriving and dynamic place that it is today Hello everybody and welcome to the Bronx heroes podcast. I am your co-host Dan Zouter. I am the Founder and executive director of grassroots grocery Reena our other co-host who's the executive director and founder of starlight house can't be here today but who is here today without further ado is Andrew so he is the founder and executive director of South Bronx united a non-profit that develops youth through soccer Hey, Andrew how's it going good. Thanks for having me. Thank you for being here. This is so much fun You know, Andrew and I know each other for maybe about at least a half a year now. Yeah, it's gotta be and it's our first time meeting in person in this studio, so National audience maybe you have the honor of being in this first in person meeting Today with me and Andrew so welcome welcome to this first in person meeting so Andrew usually You know, I don't know. We have a lot of similarities In that we were both teachers And we were both um What great what's great tell me about that like like kitchen. Yeah, why don't we why don't actually I don't know Usually we start way back, but a lot of our a lot of our guests are are like from the Bronx Are we explore the borough and things so you're out so but like me like me and like reena You're not from the Bronx. You kind of came into the Bronx. I feel like I got there by accident How did you how did you end up in the Bronx? Yeah teaching towers to cut to the Bronx, so I was in grad school for education and the reason I want to go in education was to To teach somewhere where I felt there was a big need um For a year in Brooklyn was doing student teaching, but um Had a friend from college that was at this new school. It's called the new day academy in the south Bronx They've been around just for a year Teachers and south Bronx is a kind of place. I wanted to be and why why did you want to be in the south Bronx? How many years it goes is 2006 2006. I feel like the south Bronx has changed a lot since 2006 I feel like now somebody might say this south Bronx is the kind of place I want to be That's hip and up and coming. Yeah, but but you said you know Back in 2006 the south Bronx is where I want to be so it's got a combination of culture and then But also there there's a need you know look at the the schools education system and Kids go into public school didn't didn't and still don't get the same education. I got growing up I went to public school all my life. Mm-hmm, me too. Um, but uh My education looked very different than the kids that I was and did that peat teaching and what got you into teaching in the first place? Yeah, it's a good question. I think in college and we just had this conversation with some of our high school seniors at south Bronx United recently We did a little career in college workshops. So I was telling them I went into college Wanted to I think I'd do computer science or engineering That was great. Yeah, and it just took me Like two semesters to realize I can cut it and uh, oh really? Okay. Yeah. I mean computer science is okay But but you know the college the college level math and engineering physics I thought I was always good at math and physics until I started college So I realized that I wanted to go a little different path. I still like you know, I I was able to still Include computer science tech stuff kind of my college majors called symbolic system. Oh, that sounds really fancy It's uh, yeah, I think that's the there's only one school that has that major. It's why you're so smart But combined computer science Psychology philosophy and linguistics. Wow What I managed to do was to fit some education classes in so I said, you know, this is cool But I think it'd be cooler if we applied this to how people learn what what are the alternative career paths in the degree to professor A lot of them maybe You know a lot these days, you know, it's like two what two thousand fours when I graduate college. So it was a big shift into You know Silicon Valley. This was a A lot going on. So with a lot of a lot of folks went to did things like artificial intelligence work for Facebook Facebook came out like I think we're maybe around the same. I don't remember, but I came out I think my senior year in college. Okay, so a lot of people are going that route I didn't want anything to do with that. I wanted some work with people work with kids and work with You know people that that could use Support could be interesting. So some of your fellow classmates were going into the startup world Yeah, most people doing startup tack. We're like, I don't want to yeah, you were like I can't be a genius, you know engineer But I also don't want to go into this startup world Yeah, I wasn't a genius I couldn't yeah, I needed to be I don't know I did some, you know, worked with with kids tutoring and different things and In high school, sorry in college, but I actually started doing this this program. It's another non-profit organization Called a breakthrough collaborative, which what it does is it brings College students and some high school students to teach in the summer So I did that in in Philadelphia and I did that in San Jose So as a college, so I would go in the summer teach kids from Philly public schools from San Jose schools and and I enjoyed it a lot. I loved it And what was your experience? Tell us about your experience there in in the public in the inner city schools in San Jose and Yeah, I mean Kids have a lot of personality They have a lot to learn and I think Get a mix of kids that need the guidance and and struggling for various reasons and kids that just have a lot of Excitement and and and want to learn and want to find something they can engage in and want to find people that really are looking out for them and Care for them and can help them down the right path and and we're and throughout this time when you were teaching In that experience and breakthrough collaborative. Were you were you always into The sports side of things too. I was always into sports growing up. So I was a big fan and and played, you know A lot when I was a kid And so soccer obviously my thing by actually didn't start playing soccer tells nine which you know nowadays I have a sounds young for you nowadays like at least in sports and soccer world or but you're not a parent yet So right, you know, like parents are trying to find this sport when they're like three four years old But they're gonna become the limpian in so there's that side and then you know and or now We're jumping at a little bit, but we work with the immigrant community So we got families that like grow up soccer's part their blood So kids are you know, you're born and you're kicking a soccer ball the second you can you come out of the second you could walk So so for me starting at nine was a bit late, but anyways, I grew up loving soccer after that. I always loved But ball I love basketball baseball all all sports And I was you know Through through college and then getting into to teaching in the Bronx Just trying to find whatever ways to to keep up that love both both working with kids and playing Got it. Got it, but she didn't really combine Did you have experience? I mean because you were teaching these kids and break through collaborative But did you have any experience with with teaching Coaching and stuff that you know, I never actually coached in in college, you know Or high student. I really know. No, I never coached high school or college I would play I work with kids in terms of tutoring teaching. Right. Um, but Um, wasn't well, I guess I was like a camp counselor. So did did did a bunch of stuff You know upstate New York as a counselor doing different sports, but it wasn't until after I got into coaching really after graduating In graduate school for education. You need need some supplemental income So about the program to start and start coaching in and then that's where I start to You know, the dots. I didn't realize it yet, but the dots started connected between sports soccer coaching education So so this a new day academy came before or after graduate school at Bank Street After so I did I did Bank Street for for two years So you went right from school right from undergrad to graduate school in education in the teaching which I think was it was a conscious choice for me To not do like the teach for America route or teaching fellows route. I wanted to go to grad school. I wanted to get some some Experience under my I felt that respect before I was exposing kids to all my faults. So, I think it helped a little bit. So, I think back to my first couple of years, there's definitely a lot more to learn. But yeah, that was the route I decided to take. You know, I did the same thing. I didn't do like a teacher America or anything. I just went right to graduate school. I didn't do it right after school. But when I decided to be a teacher, once I decided to teach in regular, I taught adults ESL, but that was a different thing. But once I became a legitimate teacher, I figured I can't just make this stuff up. I gotta go to graduate school. Yeah, I mean, I don't fault anyone that takes that route. No. But it'd be a challenge to jump right in, whether your career changes straight out of college, and suddenly you're teaching with no prior experience. So, okay, so during, you said you coached during grad school to make some sentimental income. Yeah, I started with any parents listing Super Socker stars. It's now like blown up. It's huge. It starts coaching Super Socker stars. Super Socker stars. I coach coaching in air quotes two and a half year olds. Oh, yeah. So, it's a program that's, you know, it's for young kids. I'm looking at it. But when it first started, it was very small. Now, I don't know how many six years ago. You were teaching kids from 12 to 24 months? Yeah, it's like, starts as young as like two years old goes up through elementary. Now they're big and they got like competitive travel teams. They're all in different cities with the top. But before, it was pretty small. The office was the owner's basement. And I would, you know, there was one summer. I would drive out. I would take the owner's minivan. And drive to the hamptons every Saturday. So to do like three soccer classes for kids in the hamptons that were there on. It's hilarious. You know, spent the weekends there with their parents. Right. So it was definitely a very different type of soccer. But I think, but actually, you know, through that, I got to do some coaching courses. Got to work with older kids. And then one, one, I started teaching. And I started after school programs with the kids in my school. I started doing it. I brought some soccer programming there. But it's, it's started with, you know, like, Manhattan, Manhattan nights, wealthy parents. Right. Kids paying hundreds of dollars for soccer classes. Right, right. That's how it started. Got it. Okay. So that's, so then you went to New Day Academy. Um, which is in the Morisania neighborhood of the Bronx. Was no longer around, but it was. Yeah. It was, it was started in the, you know, um, Bloomberg area. Mayor, when they're bringing out all the new small schools, which, which I think there was a lot of actually positives to that breaking up a lot of the large schools and smaller schools. And the school was started by really progress. Really progressive. Some known and kind of prevent progressive education circles. Paul Schwartz. Um, but. Didn't quite work out as, as I think they're expecting. And I, you know, when I started teaching there, that was a firm. I did some student teaching and I did assistant teaching. Right. But that was your first real teaching. Yeah, I was assistant teacher actually for a independent school for students of learning disabilities for a year. So it was a really good, good experience. But it was very different from, from then going. So that's what you did right out of school. That's what I did. I actually while in grad school for a year. Like win word or something. It's called Mary McDowell Center for Learning. It's great school and, uh, and, uh, Brooklyn Heights. Okay. You did that during that. But you know, I mean, and that my, my, uh, specialty was in special education and math. So, okay. That direction made sense. But, you know, it was, I mean, kids needed support, need to help with, had different special needs. Special education. That makes sense. Yeah. Now I understand why you're so good at explaining finance and things like that. So you're like me. We just, Andrew and I have had many talk about finance and nonprofit accounting. Now I understand how you make sense of these things to me. Yeah. There's all kinds of teachers, I guess. But, uh, yeah. Um, but getting into, um, the Bronx was definitely a very different group of, group of kids. Yeah. So what, so what would, so you, you know, you, so you get off, was that your first real, like, like, had you ever spent any time in the Bronx before stepping foot? No. Had you ever been there? I never, I've never been in the Bronx. That's a really good question. Did you didn't grow up here, you know? I did grow up here. Like, I went to the Bronx Zoo as a kid, but you know, or a Yankee game or something. I've tried to think if I even went to the Bronx. You did step foot in the Bronx. It's very possible. That's a good question. No, never asked me that. I think it's very possible. My first time in the Bronx was, was my job interview. I knew they had me. Wow. Very possible. And, and so what did you think? Of, of, of new day or, you know, I was just excited to get in this. It was like trying to, it was a young school. I thought like if somewhere you can get in, teach, learn to teach, but make a difference. I haven't, you know, not being like a big school or you're like one of-- And this is like early 20s, right? Yeah, so I was three years out of college. But, yeah. I was excited going in. I had also had a friend, as I mentioned there, so always good to have, have someone you know, when you're going to a new environment. But, you know, I kind of went in thinking that was how all schools were. And later on, I discovered it wasn't. But there was a lot of challenges and some dysfunction in the school. And, you know, in some ways, even though it was a small school, it fit some of the stereotypes of what you think and, like, inner city and, like, what a public school in the South Bronx would be. Right. Did you have any preconceived notions of the Bronx before you came to the Bronx? I mean, did you-- You know, I taught in Philly, you know, San Jose is a bit different. But, you know, I taught way through, yeah. But, so I'd been in-- And then I did some, like, student-- a little student teaching, actually, with kids in Harlem. And I was a camp counselor for kids from Harlem in the Bronx when I was in college. So I knew the kids. I knew the demographic. And I knew what-- I had an idea of, kind of, like, what kids would bring. I didn't quite know what the classroom environment would be. Right. And I came in after-- with two years of grad school, with some top for a year as a assistant teacher, students with special needs. So I thought I would come in knowing what to do. But I think classroom management is, as I'm sure you've experienced. Yeah. It's something that takes many years to develop. Yes. I've never developed it. I feel like I did pretty well. There's first few years. But when I was doing it, that's what I thought. But looking back, you know, there's all these things definitely would have done different. But, yeah, so I do-- I run into some of my former students occasionally. It's fun. Wow, like in their 20s or something. They're all very like-- you know, it's fun to see how much they change. Like, you were like the kid that would get up in the middle of class and start running around the room. It circles, and now they're-- have a job and everything. But-- Right. It was tough. Yeah. And the one thing I did do well is, like, trying to figure out how outside the class, you could make a difference whether, like, helping out in different committees, starting after school programs, and things like that. And that's what kind of led me down the path and realizing, maybe, like, my whole career wouldn't be a teacher in the classroom. I mean, trying to figure out other ways to-- Right. To influence the educational system. Were there any kind of white light, I don't know, experience? You're not-- or just moments that sucked you into the reality of some of your-- of the some of the lives of the students that you taught, that you-- that you were just memorable or impactful? Um, yeah, I mean, there's-- you know, that you'd have the kids in class that were, you know, the troublemakers. They're real-- real challenge. We had it like-- this is it. I taught most, like, six through eighth grade, most, like, seven-eightth graders. And I'd, like, a 16-year-old in, like, seventh grade, right? And he's the biggest kid. And his brother was, like, in the same grade, too. Wow, 16 and seventh grade. Yeah, yeah, very old. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's, like, supposed to be, like, tenth grade, yeah. Yeah, and he would, like, it was very challenging. He would be, like, coming with attitude. But, you know, you take a step back and he tears background in story and, like, learn a little bit more. And you understand. He still didn't really know how to handle it. And so what was this, guys, the 16-year-olds? What was his story? Yeah, you know, he basically just-- him and his brother pretty much all by themselves the entire time. They were getting in-- so naturally they gravitated towards finding a social network. And that was, you know, the other kids and young folks that were on their block. And, I don't know, officially what there-- whether it was official gang or if it was, like, one of the block gangs. Sure. They definitely got in and got into some different issues there. But they didn't have-- they didn't have that support structure at home. And they didn't have-- they needed, like, someone to be helping them out. And so did you-- develop a relationship with this kid? - Did, but I think that, I don't think I made much of a difference, it's a kid family that sticks with me. Yeah, and it's one example, another example, not a kid that I work closely with, but as a special head teacher, so I did work with a range of different kids at school, but, you know, Collieft Browder, I don't know if you know, his name, so he was now really known as, he passed away in Rikers Island, it was a kid that committed suicide after he had spent a long time in Rikers Island for stealing a backpack. - You taught him? - I didn't teach him directly, but I worked with him a little bit in the school. He was at the school I taught at. If you, there's a whole documentary - What's his name? - introduced by Jay-Z about, kind of his, Collieft Browder. - Collieft Browder. - Yeah, wow. So it's, you know, it's stories, like that one is you see, like he became a rallying cry for a lot of folks to like close, close Rikers and things like that and juvenile incarceration and kids being either wrongly incarcerated or not having a, not getting a trial, he didn't get a trial for years, you know. So all this happened years later, like after I was teaching, but he was one like, you know, also like, you hear a story and like one you're like, something that could have done different help him down a different path and came out of that situation and didn't deserve an all. And he, anything that he, this whole story is true bad. He became, like really became that. But he had, I think his, he had not easy time growing up either. So, you know, it's almost like sometimes, yeah, somebody's future is written unless you really have strong interventions, you know. - Yeah, yeah, it's, there's a lot, you know, if I reflect and had like a different position, it could have done differently to hopefully help some of the kids down different paths. But that's really that's what led to starting South Bronx United. - Right, so did you connect? Right, because I mean, so when I, when I started teaching in the Bronx, one thing that I had, did you speak Spanish or any other language? - Everyone tells me all the time, how is it that I don't speak Spanish? - So you don't, okay, so that's the one thing that I had, is that I speak Spanish almost bilingual in Spanish. So I had that with, because I worked in Mataven, which is a very Latino community. And I was a Spanish English school. And so I bonded with some of the students like that and they thought it was funny that I spoke Spanish well because I looked the way that I do. So that was kind of my way in. And then I discovered sneakers and I was like, oh, you know, I could connect with the kids if I talked to them about what their favorite sneakers were. And they told me about what their favorite sneakers were and then I started wearing cooler sneakers to school. And so that was the way that we bonded. And I feel like you were a guy who likes sports. - Yes, sports is definitely one of the, I like basketball, you know, for a lot of the kids, I was teaching a new day basketball was the main thing and we got to get on the core and do like, student teacher games would beat them a few times. So it was fun. But yeah, I think for a lot of kids, those sports, but you know, I think you don't, you know, it definitely helps, but for a lot of kids, they just, you know, showing interest and trying to talk about learning about what they like, you know, and that's what makes a difference. - And so how did sports come into the picture formally? - Yeah, so I started, so the school I was at, there was a, you know, one thing it lacked was after school and out of school programs. - Okay. - Because it was a small school. - It was a small school, you know, now, like, I see a lot of great schools that have like, really structured after school programs, really structured extracurriculars. I think that's really important and important ways to connect in with kids and reach their lives, expose them different things, but find things that they really love and they engage in and the school didn't have that. So, so we started, they, - I mean, one moment please. - Oh, it's my mother. (laughing) - Sorry mom, I'm doing a podcast. - Anyway, yeah. - They, um, yeah, so one of my fellow teachers there, started the high school basketball team, so I started helping him out a little bit, to start a middle school team. - Yeah. - 'Cause it was a six through 12. - Okay, got it. So you were part of the, like, the wave of bringing organized sports to the school. - Yeah, yeah, it was another teacher that brought, like, there was really just basketball. I was like the one. - But then you decided there was another teacher, another, like, I think he was a dean and he loved martial arts. - Right, okay. - I loved martial arts movies. I was about as a big fan of gently movies. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - But I never did martial arts. I'm not flexible by any means, but by helped them out and we did some martial arts. - Okay, cool. - But soccer was my thing. So I started after school soccer program. - So you started, it was a team? - Yeah, kind of, you know, it was middle school. So we had, there was a program. I think it's still around called Champs in NYC, which is like a middle school sports genre. You can get some funding. So we, the school didn't, hadn't been part of Champs before. So I brought Champs to school so that teachers can get paid. - Is it a champs like a socks brand or something? Or is it like. - I think there's a champs. I think it might be Champs too. But it's, I can't remember what it stands for. - Is it a sports company or no? - No, no, it's just like the acronym for like a middle school sports program. - Oh, right. - And run by the DOE. - Oh, I got it. So I started that, brought that to the school. So we got different sports programs for middle school students. - Okay. - So yeah, we're just bringing out kids. Give them after school. Having them do soccer programming, do practices. We schedule, like it wasn't formal. You know, we had a list of few different schools that calm up and say, do you wanna do like a friendly scrimmage? And basically it would be like, you go to like a black top and put some cones down and mark out the goals and then play. Or maybe we'd find like a grass baseball field or something. But it was great for the kids. Again, some had never kicked the soccer ball before, but just wanted the social aspect. Wanted to learn, wanted to learn. - I'm sure some of them must've been the opposite. - Yeah, and some wanted to just do some after school, keep them busy. And then away to handful of kids, you know, the kids. - It was really good. - Yeah, they were good. A kid from, most of them, we're gonna background, we're gonna get from Mexican-American family to making American, Ivory Coast family. - Were any of the kids in middle school as good as you were? Like, did you have any superstar kids in the beginning? - Yeah, we had some kids that were pretty good. But I think, you know, a lot of them hadn't played formally. - Got right, so they lacked the training. - And the school I was at, like, so they were from immigrant backgrounds, some of the kids were born out. It's like a country, it would be later through South Bronx, we have some really soccer-talented kids. I think that first group, we definitely had kids that made me, gave me, I didn't know, I had a chance to, like, play competitive soccer when I was young and it meant so much for me and be part of a team, and travel around. These kids aren't getting that. You know, I have kids that don't have that opportunity. You know, we have this after school soccer program in the school, but what about the kids at Costa Street? What about the kids in the park? And that's where really where South Bronx United first came in is that it was just a team, like, I did have a club team, a travel team for kids to get outside the community, travel around, play competitive games. - Got it. - Have them be part of a team that maybe take them somewhere 'cause it meant so much to me growing up. - Well, did you also see something when you, you know, because, like, I knew this kid, and I knew a fellow teacher in mind of the American dreams, 'cause they were in Israel and he was from Mexico. And he was, I don't know how good he was at soccer, but he was definitely better than me. And you could see that one of the ways he bonded with the kids, 'cause people's park in the South Bronx on 140, it was right across the street from my school. And so he, at the after school, and he always struggled with classroom management. And but I noticed that he started going down after school to play soccer in this little soccer field. And he just, I could just tell that he developed this connection with the kids and the connection with the kids that he developed down there after school translated back into the classroom and he got better at classroom management. Did you, like, connections with kids? - I mean, definitely, yeah, I mean, the only relationship with students that I work with and being kind of a support mentor. And I also, like, advocate for them in school was, yeah, a big part of it. - Were there any moments where you just said, like, I'm gonna start a travel soccer team. I mean, what was the panelist? - Yeah, you know, my memory sometimes foggy. I don't remember if there was like exact moment. I know I've been doing this after school program for a little bit of time and realize, you know, these kids need something more. And they, you know, I gotta hand it over to them that they should get the chance to play competitively. It could lead to something that was high school, college. - So just keeping that busy, keep 'em off the streets, you know. - But at first it was just a sigh. It was still part of your day. - Yeah, it started as, yeah. I would have started, I think maybe my third or third year of teaching. And you convinced them to give you some funding for the travel team or how did you do it? How did you do it? Well, though, I got the principal. She was helpful, signing off in some field permits, and things like that, so I got to use that. But we started as, you know, I did the whole 501C3 thing right away, so this was like 2009. So I did it before, we even got the kids out. So because the goal idea was to bring kids from all different school, and it was already called South Bronx United. Yeah. You know, formerly we were called South Bronx United Soccer Club. And it took a couple of years to take off that soccer club, and we'll get to this, but because realized my initial plan was, you know, this would be a soccer club. It would be a program, but-- Like the, right. Yeah, right. And in the mission statement-- Wait, so it wasn't a team original? It was a-- I don't know what it was to do. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not-- The soccer initiated it, yeah. So, you know-- I've done my prerequisite of soccer terminology, yeah. Barcelona Manchester United, New York City FC, right? Those are soccer clubs. So-- Tottenham Budsmer. Tottenham, you know, something-- Yeah, there are some Jewish players in that group. OK. But-- so those are professional clubs. At the youth scene, you know, a soccer club has teams from all different age groups that are competitive, travel. Sometimes they'll have like their in-house or recreational program that they just play kind of intramural. But you'll have the competitive teams that will go travel and play in leagues and tournaments against other clubs, other cities, without states and sometimes beyond that. So that's kind of the youth soccer club scene. That's what it was going to be. But usually, especially then 13 years ago, almost every soccer club is based on a pay-to-play model. Oh, interesting. So-- So you were going to charge a membership for you? No, no, no. I'm saying-- Except for you. Both clubs, parent-sur-paying, and maybe one day you'll have kids that want to play soccer if you throw them a ball. But you'll find a cell. You just cost $2,000, $4,000 a year. Right, right, right. And then all the other-- Yeah, so the initial idea was when we first started was one to provide that opportunity to kids in the South Bronx that don't have the opportunity to play. We is just you, right? It was really just you. So I might say we too. But life staff, she co-founded. She brought some business acumen. She went to the school. I got two other folks at one teacher across the street that got involved. How did you-- just from another school? Because we'd be scrimmaging across the street, and ended up picking up some other folks that'd play pick-up soccer with. So we had a group, but you know, most-- I was-- they were kind of helping out in different areas. But it was just with grassroots, grassroots, grassroots, or-- No, yeah. I mean, the initial idea was to provide opportunities to kind of mimic the club soccer experience. Right, like a travel team, a travel team. Right, a free travel team. But also to provide mentorship through-- I mean, it was in our mission statement from day one in terms of mentorship as of that. You know, to support enriching the lives of South Bronx, you're through soccer using soccer as a tool for social change, to enrich our eyes through education, academic enrichment, health promotion, character development. I had to make my mission statement longer. I know, well, so all those were parts of our mission statement from day one, but I didn't really-- you know, it was more like, OK, we're going to have these teams, we'll play a club soccer, and then through being role models, talking to kids, following up with what's going on in school. It wasn't really formal. It was going to be follow-up, what's going on in school. You know, like, how can we help you? How can I, you know, make sure that you're on my path? But at first-- but you did this as a teacher at first? Yeah, it was a teacher. So what I do after school, I would-- well, we'll back up a little bit. We started in January 2009. So I got the 501C3 status. I did all that stuff early on, which wanted to have those ducks in a row. And then did some recruitment to have a tryout for kids to come out. So back then, you know, the club team, you'd have to-- like, our first season, in our first year, we had three travel teams, but you had to have some proficiency, because you'd be playing in competitive league. So after kids come tryout to see if they could make the team, and things have changed a lot since then. But as a first year, they have to make the team. So we had this tryout. I had the idea to start it in late fall. So just the timing, I don't know if it was just me not being a New Yorker. I don't know what I was thinking, but thinking that OK, January would be a great time to start an outdoor soccer program. So we had our first soccer tryout was, I think, the first week of February. It started promoting in January. So just locked out that in 2009, it was snowing like a week before, but it locked out the bad actual week. We got like 50 degree weather. But the snow was still like-- there's still like a foot of snow. That was like a melting. And initially, we're going to use the school, South Bronx, high school, their nice turf field. But they had some snow. And they're like, yeah, we can't permit to you, because there's some snow still in the field. All right, I'm going to take a shovel and shovel out corner of St. Mary's Park. OK, yes. And that was the plan. And it kind of worked. We got a patch to play, except that the snow melted and turned the dirt field into blood field. So that was-- That was fun, at least. That was fun. It was fun for all the parents that do laundry after. That was our first activity ever. We had 26 kids out to a snow shoveled corner of St. Mary's Park in the middle of February. Wow. And that's how we started South Bronx. And now, I just want to fast forward like many years. So that was 2009 now, it's 2022, I think. So how many years is that? Like 12 or 13 years. Wow. OK, so we'll go back to the interim period. But I just want to do the juxtaposition here between, would you say, 26 kids? Yeah, we start with 26 kids to that first session. That narrowed down to 16 that were on the team. So 16 kids in a snow shoveled corner of St. Mary's Park. And can you just describe what do you-- just the scope of the organization now and where kids play? Yeah, so now we serve about 1,400 kids. Wow. Yeah. I'm going to start this young as age four. It goes up regular program up through 19. And then we continue to provide services for our alumni through college up to like 24. And guessing they're not playing in St. Mary's Park? We're not in St. Mary's Park dodging baseball. And this is a baseball field too. That's incredible. But we have programs. So obviously we have our soccer programs. All our kids come in through our soccer program. I mean, we have community soccer programs, a recreational program. And then we have several after school program sites as well. And we were SBU Academy program, which brings about 200 kids in to play on the competitive teams, but they have to attend academic programming with us. We want to do much more than just soccer. Majority of our program staff services budget is going towards our academic social work, immigration legal services, college access and college prep and going to success. So soccer is just the entry point. Soccer is what brings youth. Soccer is the carrier of the stick. Like getting one place soccer. Yeah, it's communication between like whether it's like the carrot or we like to say like it's the vehicle. Sure, sure. So like because it's a big part of it. You know, I don't just diminish like the passion of sport that everyone brings in. And that builds character on its own. And the soccer does and then sports as a whole. But it's through that that we were able to get them work with them in terms of character development, mentoring, but then we're able to get them into the classroom. So you said almost 1,500 kids now, mostly academic, but also with soccer with a big foundation. All of them are in our soccer programs. Right, right, right. We do literacy days, health days. But youth in a regular academic programming on a week-to-week day-to-day basis, it's about 250 kids that do some academic program with us on a week-to-week basis. And where are they playing out? You guys have your own space now, don't you? Are you building it or are you right? Yeah, well, so over the years, played a bunch of different parts, mostly parts department schools. That's where we do most of our programming. But we just actually just yesterday, we called our ribbon. Congratulations. Yeah, yeah, thanks to our SBU clubhouse. Where is that? So right by the stadium, River Avenue and 157th Street. And how do we tell them to describe these clubhouse? Yeah, so clubhouse is a 3,000 square foot space where we have a mini soccer field. It's play a 3v3, it's small, but tons of fun. And then there's a classroom right across from it. So we do both academic programming, and kids can get on the field. The idea is it's going to be a space that kids get. There's one classroom. Yeah, one classroom there. That actually can open up into events, spaces. That's super cool. So it's almost, but through these clubhouses, it also just kind of like showing the model. Yeah, yeah, yeah, as a few purposes, one, it's just a safe space for kids to be during after school time, which is like really needed now, kids need a space to be. They can come, kick the ball around. They can hang out with their friends. They can watch a soccer game, get on the PlayStation, or what we have. have academic programming and workshops happening there as well. So they can attend workshops. So not everybody on the staff play soccer? No, no, no, we have a lot of but but now I like to think that our or is issues convinced everyone but how awesome soccer. Okay, love soccer, but a lot of come in a lot come in not playing soccer skeptics. Um, I would I'm trying to think I don't think anyone would say that in an interview they would dare say interview so as far as I know another soccer skeptic all like us it's it's great I've just never played before and then by the time they're in they got them on the field playing they know what off sides is and things like that. And and that's amazing and and to grow from 16 whatever however many kids you know dozens a couple dozen kids on a on a field in St. Mary's Park to now you have your own clubhouse 300,000 square foot space. And how many staff so we have 20 full-time staff 20 full-time staff 300 volunteers and before when you guys started you do weren't any full-time staff right now you have any full-time staff till year four. And it wasn't you in first. So yeah, so our first full-time staff someone else that came on a friend that came on to do programs. Yeah, while I was still kind of. Yeah, I went from like teaching instructional coach to give me some flexibility to give you more. Yeah, yeah, I was able to go to different schools to pop in but I can do more working. Did you get to like when you were at these different schools instructional coaching was part of the play there. Not not directly. I was going to Brooklyn stuff so I really can really work out for South Bronx. Yeah, as a Brooklyn Washington Heights I was in school in the Bronx. So where there was overlap definitely was trying to promote that but yeah, and I would love to focus in on some of a couple that what I don't have so many different questions I'm going to write this down. I want to focus in on some of the some of these the lives that you've changed through this through this work or that you're changing or have impacted are there any. I think people resonate when you when you talk about individuals or are there any individual stories that are just really emblematic of what SBU is. Yeah, yeah, I mean, there's a lot of of kids, young adults now adults, you know, that I think have gone through our program and I think have been really helped and we hear that lots. I mean, I think of you know, even early on we had a young man that came to us from the Ivory Coast. Okay, so he came here when he was 15 or 16, didn't speak any English spoke mostly just French and several other languages as well, but not English. Yeah, he loved soccer. So he came to us, his friends brought him over, really talented player. The school he went at went to wouldn't take any of his credits from Ivory Coast. So he was 16 and started at the time he thought he'd have to start all over as like a freshman. Yeah, so one thing we did with him was we'll work with his school in terms of getting those taken care of them and we work with them to transfer to another school that better support him. He became a captain of the team was attending tutoring every day to learn English, get support with his work around his junior year, maybe senior year of high school. So he was his father, his father actually got deported. So this is around when we were starting to make connections and starting to build up some immigration services, true of the work with an attorney to make sure to at least maintain contact see what we could do to support there, which wasn't much the time, but work with him to make sure he had his asylum status taken care of so that he could at least become documented here and get on the right path to eventually becoming a legal permanent resident, which he did become. Wow actually was able to get a full scholarship through the Posse Foundation might might be there with a program give scholarships to folks from high school students from New York City, low income, first go to, he went first to the University of Maine. So we went from, from the Ivory Coast to this out there to Maine to Maine and he didn't last long really I think Maine like, yeah, he ended coming back and but he got his degree in electrical engineering from Sunni Polytechnic. Wow. So now he's he works for New York Power Authority and his engineer and so what about dad and dad is still. Yeah, I think, yeah, I think he's went and had to go back to Ivory Coast, but was he was able to move in with an uncle and still maintain contact with his father, but got in good path and now he's, you know, still involved in our program and play with our men's team, and you guys have an older and become, he became a mentor himself, so he's a mentor for, for our own, you know, students that go through our program and looking for career mentors and things like that. So, so how did, so how does something turn it, how does something transform like that? So, what do you, did you always have, when you started Suburbanese United and you, and you, and you filed for the 501 C3, and did you always have this strong vision? I mean, I know you said it wasn't always like so intentional, but did you always think that it was going to be no, not at all. I mean, I think the idea was to provide mentorship for youth and through soccer and, and the carry through their passion and leverage that passion they have for the sport, for sure. 100% dead vision that we, Suburbanese become the what it is today. No, I think for me, which everyone's story is different and your story and every non-profit founder is going to have a different story. For me coming in, you know, there's some I want to do. I want to get kids the chance to play soccer, I want to provide mentorship and role models, but I didn't come into the business plan. I didn't know what I was going to look at and look like, you know, from a fundraiser standpoint that definitely could have been helpful early on, but, but I didn't have all that stuff planned out. And it was really where the program, where the youth, where the families, where the community, where that took it and realizing both the needs, what was being asked for, what the potential was, that took us to what, where we became and where we're still going to as an organization. So, you know, I didn't even think, you know, the education promotion was in the mission statement. I didn't think about providing academic tutoring and college programming to 200 kids every, you know, every weekend. And that comes from all over the city, from all over the country. It's mostly South Bronx. We do 85, 90% resign the South Bronx and the other 10 to 15 are northern parts of the Bronx or Harlem, Washington Heights and Northern Manhattan. But yeah, all the others, you learn as you go, you know, Jose really needed support with family supports, maybe a social worker could have been really, could be really helpful. So, one of our first hiring was hiring a social worker. Kids were struggling and, you know, they'd become to our practice or then their parents would pull them out of practice because they were failing in school. Yeah. So, it's not enough to just like be a mentor and talk to them about the importance of school. We had to provide direct academic supports in the classroom. So, we start after school tutoring, start the college prep programming higher education director was a second was our next hire, you know. There was just more college prep with the seniors. That was the next step, you know, providing immigration supports because they're all from immigrant families. We just saw what these kids needed by getting them on the field and getting to know them. And then as you discover what their needs were, you started creating. That's really how we grew. Yeah, that's really how we grew. It's an amazing thing. Different needs as we went. And certainly there's a lot of other components to that. Like you need funding and people to catch up with that. So, that's what kind of I learned through running the program. But yeah, what's the biggest? When did you decide that because the whole fundraising thing is definitely not to crack for me to as a founder, but how did you how did you get to the when did you become confident enough to leave your to this was going to be your thing. Like your day job. How was there a moment where there's a series of moments or just when you knew that this was there. I mean, I think you all always, you know, I think as especially by year two, three realizing this could be definitely a full time thing. Just got to figure out how to make it that. And I think that's where I started. I went from teaching to like went on F status, which makes it easier. You know, for me, it was COVID because I really took off during code when I was allowed to work from home. Exactly right, yeah. No, yeah, I was fortunate. I didn't like teach principal and folks that were willing to keep me on and give me that flexibility. And then the next was like, OK, that was I wasn't quite making enough money to get by, so it was becoming an instructional coach as well. So it's combining some different things. But then you see how I'm in conversation with the board and board chair. And like, you know, if we really want to make this work, you've got to become a full time. We need you doing this full time. So I was like, yeah, that's great. You have the money to do that. And that's what we're really like spurred. We have to get the fundraising and everything in order. And then you all stuff to kind of just side. Well, I think for where we are, not maybe not every organization, some organizations have those like benefactors and those grants and foundations are like, OK, here's the money. Now you can do it. For us, it was like, OK, we've been on this trajectory. We're going the right way. We've never taken a step back. In terms of money, it's been growing relatively gradually. But like, OK, if we can keep this pace up, we can sustain it. So let's just make it happen. So there's a point where I'm like, OK, going full time. And we're just hoping that we raise enough money to keep that going. And so far, it's worked out. It's worked out so far. It's amazing. Wow. And so you-- what is there one-- or what's your revenue split in terms of like, you know, foundations and individuals don't like-- I'm just curious if you're comfortable. Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. So we're about about 40% is foundation grants, about 25% is individuals, about 25% is corporate. Those combine for our fundraiser events. That's how we reach a lot of them through fundraiser. So not a lot of government funding. Government funding and program service fees are make about 10%. Got it. So I mean my program service fee. So we start on being fully free. And then as we start programs and reach to like 1,000 kids, we still like, OK, there should be some buy-in, some commitment. So the max is $100 a year for the program. Water waived fully. So that's a little bit. So say that I say program service fees were not like-- Yeah, you're not. Yeah, not like these $2,500. Is that paid for the lights and paying for-- Like the soccer stars academy, right? Yeah, but it's a little commitment. And then we also run a fairly big youth soccer tournament that brings in other soccer clubs to come to us. So we raised some funding through that. So there's some different ways, but definitely, it's primarily private fundraising. So foundations, individuals, trying to get-- And so was there one kind of-- I know you said it was gradual, a gradual climb and just doing the right things or just following whatever. You know, I don't know, following the path of revenue, I guess following the money. But where did-- was there one particular funder or one thing that kind of changed everything for you that allowed you to leave? There really wasn't like one funder. That's what I'm saying, kind of like. And we still do kind of piece together from a lot of different sources. So we're pretty diverse in terms of our funding, which is great and a lot of-- And scary too. Yeah, it's combination of both sides. You know, like, it's great. There's no one group you could lose if you lose your money. And you hear that from some large nonprofits that are so dependent on government funding and then like government shutdowns about the car or like overhead hits or something and they lose or-- they just lose the contract. And they're screwed, you know? So that's the benefit of not being really diverse. If I'm not the difficult side is you have to fund from a lot of different places. So it was fairly similar early on, you know, we did have like our first big grant that we got. That was $60,000 and that was like huge for us. What's that? I want to say that was maybe around year three or four, or something like that. But that also, you know, that was still just a portion of the budget you still have to make it up from a lot of different areas. And yeah, so that's kind of how it's been since. It's still trying to figure out. I'd love if there's anyone listed yet any-- Yeah, exactly. If anybody's listening and they want-- That in fact, there's a billionaires out there. I don't want to. Write us both a check, right? Yeah, two of us around the United. Fight hunger and youth and power band and college prep all the same time. That's amazing. So what's your vision for the future? Yeah, you said before when I talk about the ribbon cutting for a clubhouse that is kind of like a model for a future. And I think that's true. We'd love to expand upon this and have more safe spaces for youth to be, for them to get the support, for the mentoring, positive role models, academic support college prep. So the goal is to expand upon that. Find out how we can have another spot where we can have more athletic programming. Academic classrooms have classrooms and office on one roof that kids and families can just drop into to get that support. So the clubhouse has gone a long way. It's going a long way towards that. But you know, the South Bronx has 700,000 people. Yeah. Bronx is 1.3, 1.4, and a third are from immigrant families. So we're maybe more now. So you're saying it's still just a small story? Yeah, we're just reaching a small portion of folks that and youth that would love to take part. What percentage would percentage like soccer? Have you guys figured that out? Yeah, I don't know. I want to say everyone loves soccer. So you said a third of the family, third of the Bronx is immigrant, and so then you have to think-- Yeah, we still got to convert more of the Dominican community. But most of the rest of the world, you know, is really loves the sport. So I mean, I think there's a lot more we can do. And South Bronx still has the distinction of having the highest poverty rate in the country, right? Yeah, also this is the United States. Until that changes, there's always going to be more need more that we can do here, whether it's expanding our services, whether it's reaching other neighborhoods and other parts and other individuals to youth and families that we don't currently reach. So that's the goal that you can do to grow. One day that may mean going beyond soccer and other sports or things, I don't know. It's possible, it's out there. But there's so many youth and families that still love the sport that would love to take advantage of that. So I think that that's far down the line. What's the next big plan now that you have the club has? What's the next thing? We're still working on this. And I got some other things coming up this spring and maybe you'll get us back on it. We'll do a lot of that follow up or something. And I'll share then. Oh, it's a secret, it's a secret, so. Yeah, yeah. But we have some plans to grow a bit. But I think the big thing would be like a five-year plan is how we can, like, have another bigger club out. We can reach more kids and figure out how we can continue to strengthen our program. And so how many, I guess, two more questions. What are the other impact just from a statistic? Because we talked about some of the individuals that have benefited in families. But are there any statistics to share about the impact of soccer? Or just your model of sports focused youth development? Yeah, and I think-- and I'll give you some statistics in a moment. I think I was just saying like, there's so many more we can reach to soccer. And when I was teaching one thing as to us, youth need something to engage in. Some kids, academics, is that? And they have their academic dreams. But for most kids, a lot of kids they need something else, something extra curricular. A lot of them haven't discovered what that is yet. For the kids that we work at, that's soccer. And there's a lot more that we need to bring soccer to. But for a lot of kids, that could be something else. That could be music, that could be writing, that could be service, activism. You know, so many other things that that's what I think the community needs more of is not just South Russia. It's a lot of other-- and there's a lot of horses out there. But there's to be more investment to bring whatever is that a kid would love or engage, bring it to them, or help them discover what that is. Right, so it's about access to things that the kids love. Yeah, as a way to grow and develop them as people. Yeah, and that's how I think we're able to make that difference because we found that thing for 1,000 plus kids, right? It's soccer. And it started with you and your own love for this sport, started with-- yeah, my own love for soccer and education and growing love, what's grown into love for the Bronx and the South Bronx. But what that's led to is through that, through finding that passion, through our SBU Academy program, 100% of our high school seniors have graduate high school in the past 10 years. Wow, 100%. 100%. So that's after the-- How many kids is there? That's about 300 years. It's about 350. That'll now graduate our program. and we've had now 75 or in their batches degrees. - Wow. - We started 10 years ago, but you know took years for those kids to then graduate high school and go to college. - Right, right, right. - So it's almost, it was only three years ago, we had our first student that went through, started with us as a sixth grader, and then graduated from college. - Wow. - You know, so it's a kid that, another great story, a kid that moved here from Niger. - Okay. - And was undocumented. - Yeah, let's finish with the story of this guy, and then we'll tie in the Bronx. - Yeah, as time goes by back in, but. - Yeah, I wanna hear, what's the kid's name? - Nauru. - And he's from Nasir. - Nasir moved here from Nasir. - What grade? - He moved here when he was, I think, in fourth grade. And was undocumented. Love Sockers, I'm one of the first teams I coached. Really shy, the beginning, but if you're, since your soccer family are a great defensive, central midfielder, but work with him in terms of getting his immigration status, taking care of, so he got through Dhaka. - Dhaka. - He was able to get employment authorization, legal authorization, graduate to high school, went to Lehman College, and then transferred city college, and studied economics and political science. - Okay. - And graduated in 2020. Kovir was our alumni honoree that year, so. - Wow. - So seeing those stories of someone going through that whole trajectory, so we've had kind of to tie it back, you know, 100% graduation rate for our seniors, 94% gone on the college. And we've had 75, get their batches degrees, it's about 55, 60% getting their batches degrees within six years, and that's something you kind of discover, you know, there's so many hurdles along the way, graduate high school, then making the college, but then staying in college and persisting to the second year. - A lot to schools like some will go upstate to schools, where like, no, very few people look like them, you know, they feel like Maine, like Maine, for example. Or the financial aspect, you know, struggling with that. - Is there any way that you guys keep the kids looped in after they go down? - Yeah, so that's became, as we kind of realize, being a challenge. - Well, 'cause I know if you think about like some of these major charter school networks, one of the big criticisms, that there's such a tight leash on them during, and then they go to college, and they have no supervision, and it's like, you know, they're dropping out. - Yeah, so doing a lot, several years ago, we started called success coordinator position that really falls up with all of them. - And that's a full-time game. - Full-time position, we have alumni soccer teams. We have alumni men's team, alumni women's team. - Wow. - So they're men's team. - Okay, that's really cool. - Oh, it's really open to alumni. We do mentorship programs. They can assign them to have a called successor, career, success mentor, so a range of different ways to keep them involved, to help colleges in front of you, everyone, different careers, sometimes are the best path, but we feel for most, there is a pathway through college, and we're trying to do whatever we can to support them through that, but we know there's so many barriers, so we're trying to do the best we can to support in that area, and still learning. - I mean, but those are amazing statistics. 100% high school graduates, and 60% with their bachelor's degree in six years. I mean, that's incredible. And to think that you just started it in a, you know, it shoveled out corner of St. Mary's Park. And so the last question that we ask, that I ask every guest is, well, I guess it's kind of a series, but it's really just tying it back into the Bronx, because I'm not from, I didn't grow up in the Bronx, and you didn't step foot in the Bronx until you started teaching it. And yet it's become just, the students you meet, the families you meet, the other people you meet that are doing amazing things. I'm sure people on your staff that are Bronx natives, that are doing amazing things. How does the Bronx, and being in the Bronx, I mean, it's in your name, you know, South Bronx United. - Yeah. - How does just being in the Bronx figure into everything? - That's the whole reason why I'm here and why we're here. You know, South Bronx United was meant to be about the community, you know, united in soccer terms, you know, I think of Manchester United. You think of all the United's, right? So it has a soccer connotation for sure, but why it meant so much to us, to me, to have it be South Bronx United, was really about uniting South Bronx, bringing families, kids together from all different backgrounds, bringing together kids from Latin America, from South America, from the Caribbean, from West Africa, from Middle East, we got kids from Eastern Europe, that are all moved here. And families have grown up, you're been here for one, two, three many generations in the Bronx as well. And bringing everyone together, uniting them all towards a common goal, literally, that means scoring a goal, but also, you know, also education, also health and wellness, having that mentor. - You know, we got to figure out, we had to figure out a way to do a food distribution outside of your clubhouse. - Yeah, I love to do that. - Yeah, let's do it. - That would be amazing to just tie it in. - And so the very last thing, after we get back to tying it into the Bronx, is we ask our guests to just either if you wrote it down or not, or it's just in prom too, to just kind of give a little short kind of letter or note to the Bronx. (laughing) Like a love soliloquy or in love note to the Bronx? - Love note to the Bronx. And I feel like it's so many ways Bronx, outside the Bronx feels like a forgotten burrow, right? Like, and everyone else is missing out of all the passion, all the culture, amazing food. Everything, it's not just the Yankees, it's not just the Bronx who. - It's a botanical guy. - It's not just a botanical guy. - It's not a great go there too. - I thought they're having you, right? - But there is so much more of the Bronx than the culture and the people. And as I've said, I've never had stepped foot in the Bronx before a job interview after. - Yeah, right. - About my 30 year out of college. But now I feel like this is the Bronx is my home and that's where I'm staying. So I'm not going anywhere. I'm gonna be here repping the Bronx. - So your name is South Bronx United. It's gonna be the name of your organization for. - Yeah, we're always South Bronx United. People always ask, I grew up in the Bay Area. I was gonna be San Francisco United or San Jose United or someone wants us to come somewhere else. We're not going anywhere. It's just South Bronx United and we're gonna continue to do all that we can here. - It's amazing. For as long as I'm around. - Amazing, well folks, there you have it. I wish that we could talk even more. It's just amazing to hear from a founder who started with just a passion for soccer and developing kids through soccer and it's turned into an organization that touches the lives of 1,400 kids annually. And it's just amazing and inspiring. Lucky to know you. And where can, as a final thing, where can people find. How can people get involved in South Bronx United? Where can they donate? Where can they volunteer? How can the people that are listening to this podcast be involved in South Bronx United and uplifting kids through South? - Yeah, donate, volunteer, become a champion. Those are our three things. South Bronx United.org. You can find us. We also have a big event coming up our annual benefit. You can go to celebratesub.com. - There you go, [email protected] and that's the gala. - That's for our annual benefit. Yeah, it's a fun event. We'll do leading into the World Cup and you'll probably hear. - How much are tickets? - More about it, $200 to attend. That's a lot of fun. And if you can't make it, just send us a nice note or donate or. So we have three volunteers too. There's a lot of ways to get involved. - And when is it again? - November 16th. - In the Midtown Manhattan, right? - Yeah, Midtown Loft and Terrace. So go to [email protected]. Word about it. - You might see my girlfriend doing it. - Yeah, there. - Awesome. - I'm a South Bronx United.org. - Amazing, well thank you, get Andrew, for being here. There's a lot of fun. And yeah, we'll have to get you back on for a little update so that you can reveal whatever city plan you got cooking. - We'll do. (upbeat music)