(Iron)Bound for Success in Newark

by Hugo Bravo

The Salvation Army Ironbound Soccer Club has grown from a local sports program for children to a soccer institution in the state’s largest city, Newark, N.J.

It’s built relationships with soccer powerhouses like the New York Red Bulls Academy and Rutgers-Newark Athletics. New Jersey politicians like Sen. Cory Booker and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka have commended Ironbound for its inclusivity and presence. Adidas has its name and logos on Ironbound players’ uniforms. Players from Ironbound’s travel leagues have competed statewide and abroad in tournaments. One player, Tyler Adams, was named captain of the U.S. Men’s National Team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

But what makes the program succeed isn’t the endorsements or the connections. It’s the fact that the Ironbound Soccer Club is powered by the mission of The Salvation Army. It creates players who love both soccer and the community where they play.

Community wins

“Soccer is a universal language that anyone can speak,” says Nick Lavrador, director of coaching at Ironbound. As a child, he traveled with his parents to visit their home country of Portugal, and despite not knowing Portuguese, Nick found that a shared love of soccer was a way to communicate with his overseas family and their children.

“In both soccer and in a city like Newark, cultures and communities come together. And like everything that The Salvation Army does, Ironbound Soccer is a community-driven initiative,” says Nick. “The Army provides us the opportunity and platform so that every child that wants to play soccer can do so.”

The Salvation Army is behind everything in the Ironbound Soccer Club, from scholarship funds that help children of low-income families to play, to the administrative staff who handle sign-ups and supplies and find practice fields in Newark for its over 1,200 players, ages 3 to 14.

“The Army also steps up for the families of our players,” says Nick. “I remember how it reached out to a player’s mother going through expensive cancer treatments, providing help and food for their family.”

Many of Ironbound’s players also come back as coaches and trainers, eager to share the lessons they’ve learned themselves.

“It’s unbelievable what we have provided to so many kids over the years. Not just the experience of learning soccer, but a place for them to grow as people that want to give back to their community,” says Nick.

All sports teach us how to be good leaders, but Ironbound incorporates the values of The Salvation Army in its approach. That means making time to clean up the field after practice, taking pride in and responsibility for your gear, and checking up on your teammates when they’re hurt or injured.

“Those values are the foundation of Ironbound Soccer,” says Nick. “It builds it up brick by brick, because something beautiful can’t be built without a good foundation.”

For the love of the game

Catherine Sousa played for Ironbound as a child and is now the program’s developmental youth coordinator. She’s the main connection between the families and the club, scheduling practices and coaches’ schedules, and staying in touch with the parents of Ironbound.

“Brazilian, Latin American, and Portuguese families like mine grew up on soccer without having to break the bank to play it. But soccer is no longer a cheap sport like when I was a child,” says Catherine. “That’s why being under The Salvation Army is so important. It helps us cover uniforms, expenses, and makes sure that this community program caters to the people in the community.”

She added, “The biggest feedback we receive from parents is how much their kids love what they do here. They can build up their skills in a fun, relaxed environment. I remember how much Ironbound Soccer impacted me. It gave me a sense of family and belonging, and now I can give back what I was given.”

Nick likes to remind his staff that soccer is going to be the highlight of their players’ day. But those staff members and coaches are rewarded with something special too: a chance to impact boys and girls in their own community who may someday play soccer in high school or college, or even just share what they’ve learned through Ironbound Soccer Club and The Salvation Army with others.

“That’s the bread and butter of Ironbound,” says Nick.

Click here for more information on The Salvation Army Ironbound Soccer Club.