The SCORESheet, November 2021
THE POETRY JOURNEY BEGINS!
On Friday, November 19, poet-athletes and families gathered at ChiTown Futbol for SCORES’ annual Fall Frenzy. This event has been a part of SCORES’ fall season since 2001 and combines soccer games and poetry readings to showcase our students’ hard work. Seven schools were represented by over 200 poet-athletes, with 68 of them performing insightful and powerful poems. At each Game Day throughout the fall season, soccer teams have demonstrated their sportsmanship and leadership skills, and Fall Frenzy added an opportunity for students to exercise their performance abilities and show off their poems in front of peers and families. Executive Director Amy Mummery noted that Fall Frenzy is especially important because it is also the start of the competitive poetic journey for individual poet-athletes who want to compete for a spot at the annual Red Carpet Poetry SLAM event held in the spring. Of this journey, Amy commented, “One of my favorite parts every year is seeing the way that our poet-athletes grow as writers and performers from the time that they first read a poem at Fall Frenzy to when they take the stage at Red Carpet.”
Video Highlights | Photo Gallery
PARICHUTE PARTNERSHIP BENEFITTING ALL-STARS
America SCORES Chicago has partnered with Parichute and Sarah Gorden on a campaign to support its All-Stars Program, set to begin in January. Parichute’s mission is to help people help the world by enabling celebrities to mobilize their fan base to support worthy causes on a social crowdfunding platform. Sarah Gorden is an American soccer player who recently completed her fifth season as a defender for Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League. A native of Elk Grove Village, Illinois, Gorden attended DePaul University where she collected numerous accolades prior to being drafted by the Red Stars with the second pick of the third round (22nd overall) in 2016. The America SCORES All-Stars Team is a select group of middle school poet-athletes nominated by our coaches for their strong soccer skills and demonstration of SCORES' core values of teamwork, leadership, and commitment. The cohort represents schools from across Chicago communities on the West and Southwest sides, and creates an opportunity for young people to build relationships with their peers from different neighborhoods and schools, while also building on their skills from the previous season. Gorden will serve as the official ambassador of SCORES All-Stars with 100-percent of donations going to support the program.
LAUREUS RECOGNIZED BY WHO
Laureus Sport for Good, the leading global Sport for Development foundation, was recognized in a World Health Organization (WHO) public health brief, which cites the organization’s Sport for Good Cities community aid model as part of international health policy for the very first time. The program takes an innovative ‘bottom-up’ approach to providing financial support and resources to some of the world’s most under-served communities, building on grassroots coalitions of nonprofit, private, government, and sporting bodies working at a local level to make a real impact on citizens' lives. As a proud partner within Laureus’s Sport for Good Cities initiative, the news marks a significant milestone for those organizations who use sport to strengthen communities. In Chicago, Laureus' partner programs reach more than 20% of the city’s youth.
Laureus Press Release | Laureus Chief Executive Adam Fraser Reflection
SPREAD THE LOVE
Since its creation in 2012, GivingTuesday has been a movement that unleashes the power of radical generosity around the world. At its simplest, it’s a day that encourages people to do good. America SCORES Chicago joins a community of thousands of nonprofit organizations across 70 countries on every continent in an effort to inspire collective generosity as a way to build a world we want to live in. Because we are all in this together, SCORES would like to take a moment to shine a light on our peers doing important work in the sport-based youth development (SBYD) space with a special shout out to Chicago Run, Girls in the Game, Girls on the Run, OWLS Lacrosse, and Common Threads! And please head over to Laureus Sport for Good to check out the missions of the great organizations we work alongside in the Sport For Good community.
RAUL HERNANDEZ
What would you say, you do here?
I am the Resource Coordinator at Hamline, which means I oversee all of their afterschool programs.
Where do you call home?
Home is definitely Chicago, and I’m also very connected to my Hispanic roots. Even though I wasn’t born in Mexico, I am always proud to be a Mexican American.
Who do you cheer for?
I love the Bears and the Bulls. Soccer-wise, I love Manchester United.
What’s your favorite holiday movie?
Home Alone - the first one for sure. The movie is based in Chicago, and I love how it shows the main character missing his family. I feel like family is what Christmas is all about.
Where are you bringing a tourist in Chicago?
Portillo’s is great, and Firecakes is probably the best donut in Chicago.
What do you listen to on your commute?
Right now, my favorite artists are J. Cole and Pop Smoke.
What brought you to SCORES and what do you like about it?
I was brought in by longtime Cardenas coach Mario Sanchez, who is my mentor. I first worked as a coach through Up2Us Sports for two years. I was then a Resource Coordinator Assistant to Amy Thayer at Pilsen Elementary and now am a full-time Resource Coordinator. I fell in love with the meaning of SCORES and was excited that I could represent our chapter in Chicago. There are a lot of SCORES across the country, and I want Chicago to be just as big or bigger than all the others. I love that SCORES is not just focused on just soccer or poetry, and that it's a combination of both. It’s more about kids being themselves and finding their passion. The fact that I am able to help them on that journey motivates me to be here longer - whether it’s coaching or working on staff.
What is coming up this year in your school’s programming?
I’m happy that everything’s running smoothly at Hamline because we’re still getting programming set up. I’m looking forward to bringing in soccer and poetry for the younger students because they couldn’t have that for the fall season, and I’m excited to show the kids that SCORES can be really special in their lives.
What else would you like to highlight about your work with SCORES?
For me personally, SCORES has helped me to become a more outgoing person. I’ve gotten more comfortable speaking to parents, asking them questions, and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I’ve always been kind of an introvert but SCORES has helped me to bring out the outgoing side of me; the one who is willing to help anyone and I’m proud of that. My time at SCORES has been a journey and it’s been great to be able to continually challenge myself.
LAZARO CARDENAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
For this month’s spotlight, we head to Little Village for a check in at Lazaro Cardenas Elementary (2345 S Millard Ave) - a community in which SCORES’ pride and legacy are deeply ingrained. Since the partnership began in 2007, no school has produced more SCORES coaches or National Poetry SLAM poets than Cardenas. At the current moment, four Cardenas alums of our Literacy In Action program currently work within SCORES’ framework, with Stephany Estrada and Yesenia Rios Carr on staff as program assistants, and Mario Sanchez and Perla Sanchez serving as coaches. Afterschool programs don’t rise to such a high level of impact overnight - it's a process that takes time and commitment. At Cardenas, credit for the process of building the program’s strength and the pride the students have in it must be given to Coach Ernie Alvarez. A dedicated educator and mentor, Coach Ernie is the epitome of a leader who has devoted his career to being an advocate for young people. He championed SCORES programming from the start and never looked back, creating a safe space for kids to learn and grow. Of Coach Ernie’s impact on our poet-athletes, Amy Mummery said, “Every child deserves to have someone like Coach Ernie in their life. He not only creates a safe space for them to build skills and learn but he also cares deeply enough to recognize what makes them special and invest wholeheartedly in their success.” Because of Coach Ernie’s passion, Cardenas’ children-first approach will continue to foster a community where SCORES pride runs deep.
Lázaro Cárdenas Elementary School
THE BEST DAY EVER
If I could plan the best day ever
I would wake up in the morning
But I would lay there for a minute
And play on my phone
On the best day ever
For breakfast, I would eat blueberry pancakes
with butter and a little bit of syrup drizzled on top
With a side of scrambled eggs and circle sausage patties
On the best day ever
I would wear my bright pink dress, with purple zig zags
And my nice dress shoes
Oooo! I’m excited about the day ahead!
On the best day ever
I would have Math class all day with Ms. Jackson
And then at recess we’d get to play with other classes
We’d play soccer- boys vs girls
And obviously, the girls would win
After school, I would invite my friends Lily and India over
We would play games on the computer like Run 3
Dance to music, play Uno, and take selfies
We’d chat about math class and boys
On the best day ever
My family and I would head to Steak-n-Shake for dinner
Where’d I get a steak burger and birthday shake
Even though it’s not my birthday
On the best day ever
I’d go do to bed early
And as I fall asleep
I’d dream of all the best days to come!
Damylah J.
4th Grade, Mason Elementary School
Performed at 2019 Red Carpet Poetry SLAM
