2023 DGK Community Outreach

2023 COMMUNITY OUTREACH CHALLENGE

In addition to the Camp Homework I assign students every year, I also challenge my camp students to become involved in their community to raise their awareness of the global community around them. It is far too easy to get swept up into our busy lives, the daily grind, and our own microscopic circle of influence. I am certainly a culprit of that. Hence the Dynasty Goalkeeping Community Outreach Challenge was developed to get ALL of us to broaden our circles of influence!

Initially the program began with students donating gear for children in need around the world and has grown from there. Thus far Dynasty has been involved with the following organizations Carolina For Kibera, Coaches Across Continents, They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO), Equipment Across Continents (a branch of Coaches Across Continents), and Sports United a sport diplomacy program organized through the U.S. State Department to encourage cultural exchange and female empowerment.

In 2010 the Dynasty Goalkeeping Community Outreach Challenge took our generosity one step further. I challenged students to ACT BEYOND THEMSELVES and get involved with a project that meant something to them and to ‘donate’ some of their TIME to help others. The feedback I received from the students and parents was tremendous, so giving back to your community has become a core value of the Dynasty family of goalkeepers.

It is in acting that we have our most profound effect, because there simply is nothing more valuable than your time. So, to set aside some of your precious time to help another human being (animal or the planet) speaks volumes. The recipient will certainly be tremendously grateful for any help you can give, but the effect it will have on your own life will be where the most value lies. The gratitude and love you receive back from the people you help is addicting and powerful. Try it and you will see what I mean.

Here is the list of the volunteer work that Dynasty staff and students (listed by the camp week they attended) reported in 2023! This is GREAT STUFF! I am proud of all of you — you guys inspire me to do more!!!

If you were a 2023 student/staff that did volunteer this year and your name isn’t on this list, it is because you didn’t email me! I can’t report on something I don’t know! Please email me so I can update!

STAFF

TRACY NOONAN – Spring & Fall 2023 – Chapel Hill, NC

Due to injuries and multiple surgeries this past year I could only volunteer a handful of times with the girl’s (spring) squads (varsity and JV) at Chapel Hill High School. I thoroughly enjoy my time working with the goalkeepers, and I have a huge amount of respect for the coaching staff. The positive environment and culture they have created between both the girl’s and boy’s squads are rare and wonderful.

In addition to working with the high school goalkeepers I have also resumed active volunteering with

Coaches Across Continents (CAC) as a consultant, mentor, and facilitator of the US Based Step-Up Athletes. I first volunteered on field in Tanzania with CAC back in 2010 and have continued to support their programs through gear donations from Dynasty Goalkeeping students. The gear being donate to a young girl in Tanzania in the photo was made possible from Dynasty GK student donations in 2021.

As described on their website:

“Founded in 2008, Coaches Across Continents (CAC) is a global alliance of active citizens, communities, corporations, foundations, and philanthropists on six continents that use our unique Purposeful Play and Education Outside the Classroom programs to impact the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We have impacted over 49 million young people in 133 countries.

In 2023, we focused our resources to realign more CAC leadership to be situated within the countries where we work. Our CAC 2030 strategy is to increase the influence of the Southern Hemisphere and build more locally owned sustainability.”

BRENNA MURRAY – 2023 – Charlotte, NC

UPDATE COMING SOON!

STUDENTS

WEEK 1

CAT APKER – 2023 – Cortland, NY

“This past year I contributed my time and passion through my volunteer work with our youth athletic programs. I committed many hours to coaching young athletes in both soccer and basketball. My community has experienced a significant decline in participation in many of our youth athletic programs. This seems especially true for young girls, which is leading to fewer and fewer girls choosing to take part in sports in mu high school. This trend has inspired me to do my part to spark more interest and motivate more girls to play the games I grew up loving to play. I volunteered to coach early Saturday mornings for our Bitty Ballers basketball program for girls in grades 1-5. Additionally, I volunteered with our youth soccer program training young girls at community run camps. Throughout my years of involvement in sport I have learned so much about commitment, dedication, and perseverance. I have learned how to express my thoughts, how to listen to other ideas and opinions, how to problem solve, and what it means to be a good teammate. There are undeniable benefits to belonging to something greater than yourself and I have a strong desire to ensure that young people have an opportunity to experience these tremendous opportunities for growth.

On top of the work in my community, I also served on the Girls’ Academy Advisory Panel. This was my club’s first year in the GA, and being able to take part in the panel and represent my entire club was an honor and amazing experience. The GA is doing a great job of giving the players a voice, as well as getting the players to give back to their communities. As a panel and a club, we organized numerous food drives, blood drives, and charitable fundraisers. We also organized events to raise mental health awareness and events to show support for the women’s movement in Iran.

I continue to be passionate about serving and giving back. I am grateful for the opportunities soccer has given me, for the confidence it has instilled in me and how it has helped me find my voice. It is important to help others access similar experiences.”

Cat, I love your drive to PAY IT FORWARD, coaching and inspiring the next generation of athletes in your community!

BECCA KESSLER – May-June 2023 – Scotch Plains, NJ

“I am currently doing a community service project for my high school, Scotch Plains Fanwood High School. I started May 22nd, and it should take a few weeks to complete. Thus far we have spent 20 hours getting the project started. My friends and I are painting banners on the walls of the weight room to display championships that each school sport has won plus the year. We have several really successful sports teams, (our girls’ soccer team is one of them! :-), that now will have their success and achievements displayed for the community. I am also designing and painting a mural in the weight room to celebrate all sports in my school. This has been a very fun project to be a part of and it feels great to leave my mark on my school and give back before I graduate.”

Becca, what a great way to leave your mark on the school long after you graduate!

EMMA WAKEMAN – Fall 2023 – Charlotte, NC

“I served with Team Impact through their partnership with Charlotte Women’s Soccer. This season we sponsored Elly, an eight-year-old childhood cancer survivor. My coaches selected me as one of the Team Impact Leaders for our team to organize special events for Elly like her official signing day and meet ups at practices and games. It was incredibly inspiring to hear Elly’s story and hit close to home as one of my loved ones recently beat cancer as well. The joy she carried with her every time we saw her was infectious and I’m so glad that I could be a part of making her feel welcome to the team. Overall, we met as a leadership group twice a month for about an hour and spent additional time coordinating events and spending time with Elly. I would estimate that the total would be about 30-35 hours. Here are pictures of some of the events this year.”

Emma, way to step up as a Team Impact Leader to make Elly’s experience so personalized and memorable! 

WEEK 2

AINSLEY CHUNN – June 2023 – Mount Peasant, SC

“I volunteered for a local football tournament that was being hosted at my school. The organization’s name is Ball by the Beach Classic. I volunteered a total of 18 hours. 9 hours for two days.  I worked the scoreboard for 8 games, took pictures of players for the Instagram account, helped clean up trash that was around the sidelines, and helped set up tents and other things to help make the event successful.”

Ainsley, what a fun way to pitch in and help make a local sports event a success!  Tournaments like this wouldn’t happen without the efforts of volunteers like yourself! I bet it gave you great insight and appreciation into how all the major soccer events you attend are organized behind the scenes and how many volunteers it takes to pull of an event!

DEVIN TRACY – 2022+2023 – Wentzville, MO

“For the past two years I have been involved with a local organization Serve St. Charles volunteering in the months of November and December (approx. 24 hrs.) to organize toy drives to fill their Christmas store. Their Christmas Store event allows parents in underprivileged families to procure gifts for their children at discounted prices (10% of retail price). Which is important to these parents as it helps them maintain their pride and dignity as they are still “purchasing” gifts for their children for the holidays.  I also volunteered during their trivia night which helped raise funds for the Christmas store and helped organize all of the gifts in the days leading up to the shopping event. This year our efforts helped provide gifts including toys, school supplies, and shoes for over 580 children in our community!

In addition, the past 2 years I volunteered for SPENSA (special needs children) with my high school team. The sessions were each about 2 hours long. Our groups were assigned a soccer star to work with. My team and I helped teach the star how to properly warm up, supervised shooting drills, and supported them during their inter-team scrimmages.  We got to know our star and were able to adjust our drills/training to the child’s specific abilities. To close out the session stars and volunteers participated in the hokey pokey which was a fun and enjoyable way to help the kids cool down!

Lastly, when possible, typically 2 nights per week during the fall season, I volunteer an hour or two assisting our club’s goalkeeper trainer working with the younger goalkeepers. I demonstrate and coach drills, correcting their techniques and providing constructive feedback during the sessions.

Through my service work I have been inspired to start an organization to help teach some basic soccer skills to underprivileged kids in my community.  I have secured a few other members of my current club team who wish to be involved with my efforts.  We would like to visit our local crisis nurseries (house ages up to 6) and other “youth in need” type facilities to help teach those children about soccer.  My hopes are that we can “Share Soccer” with those children that may be going through tough times.  I have seen how soccer or even sports in general can give kids many life skills and be a positive outlet for their time and energy.  I am still in the planning stages of my Sharing Soccer organization. I am researching how to start this as an LLC or non-profit and hope to get things official before the end of the summer.”

Devin, I love how involved you are in your community through various outlets and GREAT idea for your Sharing Soccer non-profit! Keep us updated!

ISABEL WILLEMS – 2022+2023 – Seattle, WA

“Over the course of 2022 I volunteered for Washington Youth Soccer’s Soccer for Success Program for about 2 hours every week and was also part of the WYS Youth Advisory Committee. I continued these activities after camp, and a few months ago I was awarded as the WYS Seattle Sounder’s Humanitarian of the Year.

My work with the Soccer for Success program was the same as it was last year. Every Tuesday I would spend around 2 hours helping coach grade school kids from low socioeconomic backgrounds. We would practice at elementary schools in Seattle and the surrounding areas. The kids would learn basic soccer skills, such as how to pass, shoot, and dribble. We also had a group of them who wanted to be goalkeepers! Sometimes we would lead the kids in a few small scrimmages. Overall, it was a great way to spread soccer to kids that otherwise would not have been able to play.

I was also a member of the WYS Youth Advisory Committee for the 2022 term. During this time, we focused on trying to make the game more available to everyone in Washington’s soccer community, with a focus on equality as well. At the end of the year all members of the committee independently ran gear drives. I ran mine at my school. All of the gear went to kids from low socioeconomic backgrounds, so that more people had access to the game.

I’ve attached a photo of myself receiving the Seattle Sounder’s Humanitarian of the Year award.”

Congrats Izzy!  That is a GREAT honor and indication of the tremendous impact you are having in your community.  Keep up the great work!

WEEK 3

MOLLY BURKE – Spring & Summer 2023 – Ann Arbor, MI

“I will be volunteering for Leslie Science and Nature Center summer camp in Ann Arbor later this summer in August. I volunteered for them last summer and it was a fantastic experience. It entails engaging and entertaining little kids, teaching them about nature, and leading activities such as hikes, games, or projects. I enjoyed connecting with the younger kids, seeing them learn and thrive in nature. I have also been involved this spring as part of their Youth Guidance Team in preparation for the summer camp.

I am also active with TopSoccer which is a soccer training program for young athletes with disabilities. I guide the young players in soccer drills and join them in small-sided games. Thus far, I have completed around 8 volunteering hours for both organizations, and in August I will complete two full weeks of volunteering at the Leslie Science and Nature Center summer camp which will add 80 hours to my volunteering. ”

Molly, I love that you are encouraging young children to get outdoors, learn about nature, and be active! You are a fantastic role model for young girls and boys!

ANA LEVY – Spring 2023 – Key Biscayne, FL

“I have participated in two major projects this spring.  The first was volunteering at Key Biscayne Community Day School.  I spent 10 hours each day for 2 days at the elementary school assisting their art teacher (art being a passion of mine other than soccer) putting together an art show for the kids. We took all the art projects the kids had made throughout the school year and put them together, providing each class with a theme and relating their artwork to that theme. We decorated the school, covering the walls in colorful paper and hanging their artwork.

The second organization I was involved with was the Gulliver Prep Soccer Camp. I volunteered as a camp counselor for 80 hours (8 hours per business day for 2 weeks) at a soccer camp hosted by my school. My work entailed setting up drills, moving goals, supervising the children, and washing bibs regularly. It also included watching games, playing futsal, and playing outdoor soccer as well. I was assigned a team weekly to coach as they competed in a tournament with all the other campers. The kids ranged from 6 years old to 13.”

Ana, I love that your service work included two passions of yours, art and soccer! What a great way to get involved supporting more creativity and physical activity in your community!

KENDALL WRIGHT – Summer 2023 – Ashland, VA

“This summer I volunteered at two different organizations. I volunteered at Pine Stables for 2 weeks totaling 50 hours of community service. I cared for horses and helped new riders learn how to ride horses. My work consisted of feeding, watering, bathing, and exercising the horses, plus when campers arrived, I engaged them to make sure no one got hurt. I also had 16 hours of community service for Own The Goal goalkeeping camp. At this camp I coached a group of 5 boys from the ages of 8-10. I taught them the basics of the position and made sure they had fun.  I arrived daily 45 minutes early to assist with camp set-up and to organize my group. And I stayed after sessions clean up and get ready for the next day. Here is a photo of our group minus a few players!

I really value the new perspectives and skills gained from my community outreach work. At Pine Stables I had the opportunity to make an impact on kids the way older mentors helped me when I was a little girl. In addition, I feel my self-esteem deepened as I stepped up in a role with more responsibility and others depending on my output. At the soccer camp I had to learn the game from a new perspective in order to teach it to young children. This experienced opened me up to the possibility of potentially coaching in the future.”

Kendall, what a great way to stay active and give back to the community through two of your passions!

ANNA FORD – Spring 2023 – Jonesville, VA

“I volunteered with the Appalachia Service Project (ASP) for my second consecutive summer. ASP’s mission is to make homes warmer, safer, and drier for Appalachian families. Through my church, Wakefield UMC, a group of high school students and volunteers with varying skill levels spent a week in Jonesville, Virginia repairing homes. My project this year was to reconstruct a living room floor for Ms. Belinda and her two dogs. In a week, my team deconstructed her floor, repaired joists in the foundation, installed new insulation, laid down the sub floor, and assembled a new floor with baseboards. In addition to the great sense of accomplishment we all felt in repairing her home, the piece that impacted me more was the happiness and joy the homeowner showed when she got to sit on her couch again with her dog, Homer. I believe ASP’s mission is less about the construction aspect, and more about connecting with your peers and homeowners to form long-lasting relationships.”

Anna, what a great project to help homeowners in dire need! A seemingly simple project that will make a profound impact on that homeowner’s quality life! 

WEEK 4

TATUM DOUGLAS – Summer 2023 – Creve Coeur, MO

“I volunteer with K.A.R.E. Camp for a week every summer. We volunteer for different local charities each day and at the end of the week we organize a fundraiser to support those charities. My session for this summer is coming up soon, but I can share details from last year. We volunteered for 10 different organizations ranging from animal shelters, conservation, food banks. and several others. At the end of the service week, we raised $1,373 selling lemonade and baked goods. The campers all voted to donate the proceeds equally among the organizations we volunteered with during the week. $137 donated to each non-profit.

It means a lot to me to have this opportunity to help others in my community. I know that I am really lucky to live as I do with parents who are willing and able to pay for all of my soccer and international travel. I know that not everyone is as fortunate, so it is important to me to find ways to help others.”

Tatum, what a great organization to be involved with ANNUALLY!  Keep it up!

OLIVIA KERTZ – Summer 2023 – Saint Louis, MO

“I have chosen to volunteer this summer with STL CYC Youth Soccer. We (myself and another girl Stella) are helping young players with basic goalkeeping skills. We are teaching them skills like diving, proper footwork, catching, and scooping. In the fall we hope to attend the games when we can. We also stay after sessions to pick up equipment and help any players looking for additional training, or even sometimes just to play around with them and have fun! Thus far I have committed 6 hours and hope to contribute 8 additional hours.”

Olivia, way to inspire future female goalkeepers!!!

KYLAH LONG– June 22-23, 2023 – Southport, NC

“I chose to participate and fish at the annual Child Wish event this year on June 22-23. My father owns/operates Reel Therapy Charters (nonprofit charter 501C3) taking wounded veterans fishing nearshore. He also participates in the annual Child Wish event that takes 40 special families with kids ages 6-18 with a permanent disability or life-threatening illnesses fishing. I decided to help him with that event. Participating in this event taught me that I should be thankful for my personal health, physical abilities, and that materialistic items don’t matter. I hope to participate in the Child Wish event again this coming summer.”

Kylah, what a fun way to bring joy into a child’s life! 

GIANNA REID – 2023 – Batavia, IL

“My local town has an organization called Give Back Batavia. There are many ways we help the community, such as prepare food and visit shelters. I spend time on Saturday’s doing that. In addition, twice a week I go visit young patients. It has been an eye-opening experience for me. Mainly we sit with them, talk, listen, play games, and try to take their mind off their illness and enjoy being a kid, if even just for a few minutes.

I have really enjoyed my service work and plan to continue with this organization through high school. I am also planning to work closely with the special education students in high school.  I hope to study to be a nurse in college and eventually work with pediatric cancer patients. This experience is giving me a lot of perspective into that career.”

Gianna, helping bring a smile to a sick child’s face is an AMAZING gift! That is priceless.  Keep up the great work!

MAYA REYES – Summer 2023 – Dominican Republic

“I helped an organization called New Hope Girls. They provide refuge and support girls ages 2-20 on their journey out of darkness.  They provide housing, an education, and much needed love and hope. I am close with the family who runs the organization, and they asked me to come up with ideas and activities that included a devotional focus.  I came up with an arts and crafts activity with a devotional element as well as poetry (haikus and limericks). Overall, I committed roughly 8-10 hours over two weeks creating the activities and some examples for the girls to follow. Personally, it was rewarding to create a fun activity for the girls’ camp.”

Maya, what an AMAZING organization to volunteer with!  Any time you can give these girls will be welcomed; I am sure! I hope you continue to stay involved with them!

ROSIE WAIDE – Summer/Fall 2023 – Atlanta, GA

“This summer/fall I plan to volunteer at the Atlanta Community Food Bank sorting food. I also plan to involve my team with a food drive as well as volunteering as a group later this year. I’m excited to do this work because it’s going to help low-income families and kids who can’t afford the food that they need.”

Rosie, what I great way to get involved AND to motivate your team to join you as well!  It is sad how many families right in our own backyards struggle to afford meals. Way to pitch in and raise awareness!

WEEK 5

GREENLEY DUPLANTIS – 2023 – Baton Rouge, LA

“This year I have volunteered at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank in Louisiana. I have volunteered a total of 18 hours so far. I sort food donations and make sure that they are suitable to be distributed to the homeless in our community. I pack boxes of meals for victims of floods and hurricanes which affect our area quite often. This organization really helps out the less fortunate in our community and I’m grateful that I am able to help out.”

Keep up the great work Greenley!  That is a critical organization for people in need in your area. It doesn’t take much to make an impact and every bit makes a difference!

AUDREY JOHNSON – Summer 2023 – Ponte Vedra, FL

“For a while I struggled to find a meaningful way to contribute to my community. Then, in the beginning of June, a tragic event in my local community created an opportunity for me to make a difference.

On Saturday June 3rd, Madison Schemitz, who is a school friend of mine, was targeted and attacked by her ex-boyfriend. He managed to injure Madison, Madison’s mother, and a bystander, Kennedy Armstrong who saved Madison’s life. This all took place at Mr. Chubby’s wings around 4:00 P.M.

Madison was stabbed 15 times and is currently in the process of recovery in hopes to one day walk again after sustaining a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the chest down. Madison’s mother and Kennedy both suffered stabbing in the hand and are healing. More updates on Madison through her Instagram @madisonschemitz. 

Madison is the most selfless person I know. She constantly gives to others in a way that I have always admired. I met Madison in 6th grade, and during my 7th & 8th grade year she helped pick me up when I struggled with my mental health. Since June 3rd I have been amazed at the positive mindset she has maintained despite her circumstances. She continues to crack jokes and make me laugh just as she would before the incident.

As for the Community Outreach Challenge, one of my close friends Alyssa James put together a project to support Madison and raise money for her. Alyssa mentioned how she couldn’t stand to sit around and not do anything to help Madison. As soon as I heard she was putting together a fundraiser I knew I had to hop in and help. The organization was called #madisonstrong. On June 17th the entire community came out to Mr. Chubby’s wings where Alyssa partnered up with local businesses to make t-shirts, keychains, and several raffles to attract people from all over our area in Ponte Vedra.

Alyssa, Taylor (another Ponte Vedra student), Alyssa’s mom, and I sat out from 10:00 A.M until the dinner crowd piled in. We raised $15,000 dollars in a 13-hour day! It was so heartwarming to see how much support Madison got that day. We even got to meet Kennedy Armstrong, the man who saved her life that day. Additionally, GoFundMe accounts were created where over $150,000 was donated.

Madison has been interviewed and has spoken out about adding the One Love Club to our school to bring awareness to unhealthy behaviors in relationships.

Although a sad and unfathomable tragedy happened, it has really brought together the community. I’ve made new friendships through this movement, and I’ve seen the beauty of the community as everyone came together for her. What happened to Madison has altered my perspective on life. Life is very precious, and we must cherish every day as we only live once.

The quote that Madison has continued to use throughout her recovery sums up her will to persevere that we can all be inspired by,

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”  

Audrey, you have so encapsulated everything that this community outreach is about. Way to take your time and find such a meaningful impact. Simply AMAZING. I am so sorry that your friend had to endure such a trauma but am also grateful she has such a strong support network to help her and her family through hell. Thank you so much for providing all the detail on your service project. All the best to Madison with her recovery!

LILY SELVY – Summer 2023 – O’Fallon, MO

“The name of the organization I volunteered for is called SPENSA (Special Needs Soccer Program). So far, I have volunteered for 4 hours. There are currently no more opportunities with this organization, but it should start back up again shortly. I plan to attend a session a couple of days per month. Each session is about two hours. Volunteers are paired up with a buddy who has special needs. We play soccer with our buddy and connect with them. Overall, we make sure they have a fun time, get some physical activity in, and stay safe. The kids also get a lot of social interaction and get to be in a “team” environment. I chose this organization because I have an aunt who has special needs, and my mother also works with special needs students. I have seen from those experiences how challenging it can be for them to not be involved. I want them to feel included. I have always had a soft spot for kids with special needs because they don’t get to experience the same fun things I do. It was fun to share the joy of playing soccer with our buddy. ”

Lily, I hope you have the opportunity to share more of your joy and passion for the game with these amazing children!  You are a great role model for them