Scoring Big in 2023: Massive Growth and Impact
Last year, SCORES programs grew an unprecedented 73%. This year growth is projected at another 66%. From growing existing partnerships to expanding our reach into new communities, the 2022-2023 school year was one of immense excitement and impact for SCORES. Below are a few highlights from the year and a preview of what you can expect from us in 2023-2024.
A Year of Milestones
Our Growing Footprint & Partnerships
Our coach-mentors reached 3,065 1st-8th graders through our core programming during the 2022-2023 school year – demonstrating 73% growth over the 2021-2022 school year. Five hundred more girls took part in the program, a significant step in our effort to bring more gender equity to the soccer pitch.
SCORES poet-athletes represent the rich tapestry of ethnic and cultural diversity that defines the Bay Area. Among our poet-athletes in 2022/2023, 71% were Hispanic/Latino, 12% Black/African American, 7% Asian, 3% white, 3% multiracial, 2% Middle Eastern/Arabic, 1% Filipino, and 1% Pacific Islander.
Our growth and impact have been made possible through invaluable support and partnerships with lead agency partners like BACR, EBAYC, Mission Graduates, and others. Additionally, funders such as San Francisco’s Department of Youth, Children & Their Families, and Oakland’s Fund for Children & Youth have played crucial roles in ensuring continuous access to our programs and coaches.
Forging New Connections
In 2022-2023, we expanded our partnership with Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to include their Expanded Learning Learning Department, allowing us to serve additional sites and scale up Game Days in Oakland. Our collaboration with Hayward Unified School District (HUSD) also thrived, enabling us to serve over twice as many poet-athletes in Hayward compared to the previous year.
Venturing into new territories, we debuted programming in Watsonville through a partnership with Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks, to 610 students in grades 1-8 across six sites.
High-Quality Programs
Student Surveys are a vital part of our evaluation strategy.
Notable survey highlights include:
97% of poet-athletes reported that they have a coach who cares about them.
91% reported that SCORES helped them work together with others.
89% said they enjoy exercise more because of SCORES.
89% reported that SCORES helped them understand challenges in their communities
100% of middle schoolers reported that they feel like they belong in SCORES.
More Safe and Green Play Spaces
In 2022-2023, SCORES transformed four asphalt play areas into safe turf fields across San Francisco through our "Field of Dreams" initiative. One of our most notable projects brightened James Lick Middle School in San Francisco — our first-ever middle school transformation — providing continuous access to safe play spaces for the school's 450+ students and neighbors. Go check it out!
What’s Coming up for 2023-2024?
More Growth!
We will expand our reach to serve 5,000 students through both existing and new partnerships. In Hayward alone, we’re expanding by 40% through our middle school programming. Our partnership with Friends of the Santa Cruz County Parks (Watsonville) has been extended after unanimous approval by the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. And in West Contra Costa, we’ll be serving an estimated 400 elementary school students and an additional 200 middle schoolers across 16 total schools.
Increasing Investment in Girls!
We’re fiercely committed to gender equity. Thanks to generous funding from #startsmall, Jack Dorsey's public fund for global COVID-19 relief, we have the resources to formalize our girls' engagement strategy in 2023-2024. This will involve hiring a team dedicated to developing and implementing strategies that engage and support female athletes, connecting older girls to opportunities for their soccer journeys beyond core SCORES programming.
Our goal is for 50% girls and in all our programs.
Financial Health and Organizational Sustainability!
Our 2022-23 fiscal year marked the first year of our five-year strategic plan. We're ending the year with a projected net income exceeding $500,000, dramatically improving our cash position. Our liabilities and payables are at an all-time low, and revenue confidence for the FY24 budget is at an all-time high. Over 65% of our projected revenue is "committed" through contracts and pledges, and the remaining revenue projection has a 95% confidence score.
More “Fields of Dreams” Transformations!
Expanding our Field of Dreams initiative beyond San Francisco is on our radar. We're actively pursuing opportunities to transform play spaces into all-weather turf fields at schools including Brookfield Elementary in Oakland and Bahia Vista Elementary in San Rafael.
Before and after images of playground transformation.