Dallas, TX . . . The annual Dallas SCORES Poetry SLAM! will highlight original poetry and a Macy’s fashion show featuring SCORES students, their families and coaches modeling, as well as complimentary dinner for guests.  WFAA’s Colleen Coyle, SCORES celebrity spokesperson, will serve as emcee.  The event, sponsored by Molina Healthcare and Macy’s, will be Wednesday, December 16 at 6 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Learning Center, 1710 Carroll Ave., Dallas.

SCORES, a national nonprofit organization in 14 cities, has been in Dallas since 2003 and offers after-school soccer, literacy and service learning in urban Dallas Independent School District elementary schools.

The Poetry SLAM! features third through fifth graders reading and performing their original poems of self-expression.  A panel of judges will select one student to travel to New York City in April to represent Dallas in the nationwide Poetry SLAM! With students from all U.S. SCORES programs

The SLAM! is free and open to the public.  Activities include supper, Molina goody bags for children, an appearance by Dr. Cleo, Molina Healthcare’s cat doctor mascot, $10 gift cards from Macy’s as well as drawings for additional $25 cards.  The fashion show, moderated by Sheena Bosworth, Macy’s Corporate Sales Manager, will feature clothing from their Galleria store.

“We are so pleased to have Molina Healthcare of Texas and Macy’s as partners for these events,” said Crystal Schober, Executive Director of America SCORES Dallas.  “They can offer our children and families new opportunities and assist us in serving this population through enhanced events and community connections.”

The SCORES program is free and is operating in five DISD schools with at-risk populations.  Children play soccer three days a week, developing sportsmanship, discipline, problem-solving and teamwork, as well as receiving exercise resulting in a lower Body Mass Index, improved endurance and weight loss in students experiencing obesity.  Through two days of language arts instruction, children develop creative thinking, literacy and speaking skills and gain an outlet to write about personal issues and develop emotionally. 

Service-learning projects each spring teach social responsibility as students learn to use their voices to make changes in their communities.  Past projects include school beautification, collecting toys for the SPCA, making posters for MADD and improving their school soccer fields. 

For more information, visit americascoresdallas.org.

More than 225 third through fifth graders in Dallas Elementary Schools will demonstrate their soccer skills at the America SCORES Dallas Annual Jamboree on Saturday, May 16 at the Mountain View College Sports Complex. 

The youngsters and their families will arrive at the college, located at 4849 W. Illinois Ave., Dallas, at 9 a.m. for a day of round-robin games, food and goody bags. The event is sponsored by Molina Healthcare, Macy’s and Big Thought.  Activities will include an appearance by Dr. Cleo, Molina Healthcare mascot, T-shirt giveaway by Macy’s, lunch and snacks and assistance from the Dallas Sidekicks indoor soccer athletes in running drills and entertaining children on the sidelines. ESPN Deportes Radio will also be talking with families.  The event is free and open to the public.

Participating children are part of America SCORES Dallas, an afterschool program combining soccer, writing poetry and community service.  Examples of their service projects will be on display at the event and include toy collections for animals at the SPCA, school beautification efforts, planting and maintaining a soccer field at a local school and gathering donations for Military Uplift.

“Molina Healthcare is proud to support an organization like America SCORES Dallas that is committed to helping improve the health and well-being of children,” said Craig Bass, president of Molina Healthcare of Texas. “We are excited to be part of this year’s soccer Jamboree and we look forward to partnering with America SCORES again in the future.”

Dallas SCORES has been providing at-risk children with high-quality afterschool programming since 2004 with organized activities designed to inspire them to lead healthy lives, be engaged students, and have the confidence and character to make a difference in the world.

Evaluations show these children decrease their BMI, increase their endurance and improve their literacy skills.  The poetry curriculum is designed to help these children develop creative thinking, literacy and speaking skills. Writing poetry gives them the outlet to write about personal issues and develop emotionally.

In addition to Jamboree, they participate in an annual Poetry SLAM! each December, performing their original poems before an audience of their families, friends and peers.  Two winners, one girl and boy, are selected by a panel of judges as winners of a trip to New York City to read their poetry with winners from the 13 other cities with the SCORES program.

For more information, visit www.dallasscores.org.

Dallas, Texas … Olympic Goal Medalist Goalkeeper Briana Scurry will hold a soccer clinic Thursday, February 5 at 3:30 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Learning Center,

1710 N. Carroll Ave., Dallas.  The event is open to the public.

SCORES targets DISD elementary-aged at-risk children with organized after-school activities.  More than 95 percent of participating children live at or below the federal poverty level.

Briana, national spokesperson for America SCORES, will teach soccer skills to Dallas children in third through fifth grades enrolled in the SCORES program at Chavez.  She is serving as honorary chairperson for the 11^th Annual SoccerBall, a fundraiser for the local SCORES program, planned for Friday, February 6 at Tower Club, Thanksgiving Tower.

Briana Scurry is widely thought of as one of the world’s-best female soccer goalkeepers. After being named starting goalkeeper for the United States women’s national soccer team in 1994, she helped lead the team in two Olympic gold medals (1996 and 2004) and had 173 international appearances – a record amongst female soccer players. With over 90,000 screaming fans watching, Briana made history in 1999 after an astounding shoot-out save against China, which resulted in a championship win. Her talent protecting the goal –she had 71 shut-outs -- and her team’s unprecedented success lead to a huge increase of women’s soccer fans, and inspired millions.

Briana was also one of the first women in the world to participate in a woman’s paid professional league in 2001. As captain of the Atlanta Beat, she played in two WUSA Championship Games and in 2003 she was named Goalkeeper of the Year. She continued playing until 2010, until a debilitating head-injury lead to her retirement. 

With dedication, determination and passion, she continues spreading her love of the game through motivational speaking and coaching.  Briana had the distinct honor and privilege to testify before Congress in March 2014 on Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) in sports.

Briana was recently selected for U.S. Soccer All-Time best XI National Team lineup. Briana’s ability to inspire, both on and off the field, has helped pave the way for women’s soccer everywhere. 

She will be available for interviews immediately after the clinic and Friday, February 6 from 8 a.m. to noon.  Please contact SCORES Dallas for appointment times and locations.

America SCORES Dallas is one of 15 affiliates in the US dedicated to teaching soccer and poetry to children in urban schools.  The after-school program has been in operation for 20 years and shows measurable achievements in physical fitness, school attendance and improvement in reading and writing mechanics.

Children learn teamwork, sportsmanship and discipline through playing soccer three days a week with inter-school scrimmages each Friday.  Students share their voices in writing poetry twice a week, allowing the opportunity for self-expression, often lacking in urban schools. 

Briana Scurry, two-time Olympic gold medal winner and holder of a World Cup title, will serve as honorary chairperson of the America SCORES Dallas SoccerBall, planned for February 6, 2015, at the Tower Club in Thanksgiving Tower.

Scurry, who has been called the best women's goalkeeper in the history of the sport in America, was forced to retire due to a series of concussions suffered while playing and testified before Congress this year on the effect of sports injuries on female athletes.  

The SCORES program serves urban children in third through fifth grades in an after-school program designed to teach literacy, health, soccer and service learning.  The nationwide program has been in Dallas since 2003, with 95 percent of participating children living at or below the Federal Poverty Level.  Held on DISD elementary school campuses, there is no cost to families.  Children receive soccer shirts, shorts and shin guards as well as a soccer ball and spend three days a week playing soccer and two days writing poetry with sports and literacy coaches. Participating children show increases in school attendance, teamwork, literacy, physical endurance and a decrease in Body Mass Index. 

The gala is the largest fundraiser for the group and features a cocktail hour, live music, seated dinner, live and silent auctions and appearances by SCORES children.

For more information about SCORES, contact Executive Director Crystal Schober, cschober@americascores.org.