As the clock winds down for voting on Nike and Ashoka’s Changemaker competition, we want to get all ONELOVE representers acquainted with love.fútbol. They bring HUGE credibility to the ONELOVE community and right now they need our votes.

click here to cast your vote!!!

Check out the video and read the Q&A to get better acquainted.

LF World Cup Fundraiser Video from Sean Mattison on Vimeo.

What is love.fútbol?

love.fútbol (LF) is a Washington, DC based registered non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that partners with impoverished communities worldwide to build simple, safe soccer fields for at-risk youth. We envision a day when all children will have a safe place to play soccer.

Since 2007, we have built six fields in diverse ethnic, socio-cultural, and demographic regions of Guatemala. Our seventh field, in the community of Juil, is under construction, and we are currently raising funds for an eighth field, to be built in San Antonio Palopó.

Why soccer?

Across the world, youth face great challenges to playing soccer. They run barefoot in trash dumps, chase balls through sewage and dodge cars in the streets. They play on prohibited land at night when there is enough moonlight. They are desperate and determined to play the game they love.

In their efforts to play they are often injured and, in some cases, killed. Less easy to see, they become frustrated and lose interest in the game. In impoverished communities, where sports are often are the sole escape from the daily struggle with poverty, a loss of interest in athletic pursuits often leads to involvement in gangs and increased rates of drug and alcohol abuse.

love.fútbol fields ensure that children have access to a safe place to play soccer, which is a catalyst for hope, inspiration and personal development. The game teaches these children the teamwork, discipline, communication, and leadership skills they need to escape the poverty cycle.

What makes love.fútbol unique?

1. We believe in play

At love.fútbol, we believe in the power of soccer. A love.fútbol field is a safe and dependable outlet for youth to play and express their passion for the game. The opportunity to play can be the difference that keeps children off the street and on a positive life track. When youth play soccer on a love.fútbol soccer field, our mission is realized.

2. We empower communities

love.fútbol mobilizes communities around their own soccer field projects. We provide financing for raw materials and guidance, while communities organize the project, donate the land and volunteer all labor. The project is in the community’s hands and, as a result, locals have complete ownership. A completed love.fútbol soccer field is more than a place to play – it is a lasting and tangible symbol of community strength.

3. love.fútbol is a means, not an end

A love.fútbol project is a value-added opportunity and a platform for future development. Our fields are a significant community achievement that unifies locals and generates momentum that can subsequently be rechanneled toward new endeavors or harnessed by other organizations. Once our fields are complete, our coalition partners – other social ventures and sport for change organizations – engage the community and continue the latter’s development process using the love.fútbol soccer field as a platform for growth.

What is next for love.fútbol?

love.fútbol is currently working with our seventh community in Guatemala, and we hope to break ground on an eighth field before the end of the year. With the 2014 World Cup on the horizon, we plan to expand into Brazil in time to showcase our work during that tournament. Further, we expect to use the 2014 World Cup as a springboard to expand our operations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

How can I support love.fútbol?

There are many ways to get involved with love.fútbol, and a number of actions you can take on our behalf.

We are currently finalists in Nike and Ashoka’s Changemakers “Changing Lives through Football” competition. We are honored to be one of twelve contestants vying for the grand prize – $30,000. The public decides the competition winners by online voting – please help us get out the vote and win!

You can vote here until the competition closes on August 18th. Once you have voted, please browse the comments section and check out our video and photos to learn more about our work!

Outside of this competition, we are currently raising money to fund our eighth project. Contributions of all sizes will help make an immediate difference in the lives of underserved youth in our partner community of San Antonio Polopó. To make a tax-deductible donation, please send a check payable to love.fútbol to PO Box 11056, Washington DC, 20008 or make a secure donation online at www.lovefutbol.org.

For youth team coaches and players, we have recently piloted the love.fútbol for All Team Challenge, a movement for and by the global soccer community to provide right to the game to all youth. Teams interested in learning more about how they can support the construction of love.fútbol fields should contact love.fútbol for All Director Geoff Miller at Geoff@lovefutbol.org

We encourage everyone to follow love.fútbol on facebook and twitter. Also, be on the lookout for the launch of our new and improved website, coming this fall!

Soccer is the world’s game, and love.fútbol’s vision is to address a global demand. We hope you will join us in our efforts to provide all the world’s youth a safe place to play the Beautiful Game.