Top names from US and global sport ready to go ‘Beyond Soccer’ at Yankee Stadium

AS Roma and the English FA among those joining MLS, NFL and MLB teams together with major brands including Barclays, Wells Fargo and Chevrolet for event examining the unique potential of soccer

May 22, 2014 (New York, New York) – Some of the biggest names in global soccer will come together at one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues on June 10 to discuss the unique potential of ‘the beautiful game’ to create positive social change in the USA.

Beyond Soccer – powered by streetfootballworld – is a one-day event that brings together top leagues, teams, brands, social development organizations and the media to look at how the game can create shared value for sponsors and investors and how a new breed of American sports fan is creating a greater need for socially responsible investment by sports business.

The keynote address will be delivered by Mark Abbott, President and Deputy Commissioner of Major League Soccer. An opening panel examining soccer as a vehicle for socially-responsible investment in the USA will include the CEO of FC Bayern Munich, Rudi Vidal; renowned New York criminal defense attorney and Board Chair of AS Roma, Joe Tacopina; the VP of Sponsorship for Wells Fargo, Nick Carey; and Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper and UNICEF ambassador Karina LeBlanc.

Also present for an intensive day of workshops and breakout sessions will be the New York Yankees, New York City FC, the New York Cosmos, Seattle Sounders FC, Fulham FC, Fenway Sports Management, South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs, the Philadelphia Eagles and many others.

Randy Levine, President of the New York Yankees said:

“The New York Yankees are delighted to welcome Beyond Soccer to Yankee Stadium. We want to make Yankee Stadium the home of soccer in New York, starting in 2015 when we begin three seasons of hosting New York City FC, and there is no better way to kick off than with an event which focuses on the power of soccer to make a difference in the lives of young people.”

Mark Abbott, President and Deputy Commissioner of Major League Soccer said:

“Major League Soccer and its clubs are committed to making a positive impact on the communities in which our players, staff, and fans live and play. As a founding partner of Beyond Sport United, we look forward to this unique opportunity to welcome the global soccer organizations of Beyond Soccer to New York for a shared dialogue about engaging fans and driving socially responsible initiatives.”

Juergen Griesbeck, Founder and CEO of streetfootballworld said:

"We believe that the whole football system can align behind a shared social mission that reflects both its origins and the needs and values or the billions of people around the world that give it such power. Perhaps no other country in the world has more potential to realize this dream than the USA and we look forward to discussing the opportunities with such a distinguished group of guests in one of the world's most famous sports venues."

This is the second time Beyond Soccer has come to the USA after a successful edition at PPL Park, home of the Philadelphia Union in 2013 and previous editions at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in England and in Cape Town, South Africa. This is the first time Beyond Soccer will be organized alongside Beyond Sport United, which takes place at Yankee Stadium the following day, Wednesday June 11, and brings together world experts to discuss how teams and leagues can better engage in communities under the slogan ‘Different Leagues, Same Team’.

streetfootballworld drives a network of local organizations that use football to provide opportunities to disadvantaged young people and builds a coalition of powerful partners to create social change. For more information visit www.streetfootballworld.org

Beyond Sport, whose global partners include Barclays, TIME, Unicef and ESPN, is a global initiative that seeks to celebrate and support any organization or individual with the goal to drive positive social change through sport. For more information on Beyond Sport and the Beyond Sport Summit and Awards, visit www.beyondsport.org

For updates on Beyond Soccer on Twitter follow @sfw_tweets, @BeyondSport and #BeyondSoccer