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Evaluation Report Brief

U.S. Soccer Foundation : 

Soccer for Success

Program At-a-Glance 

Intervention: Soccer for Success 

Grantee: U.S. Soccer Foundation 

Focus Areas: Healthy Futures; Youth Development 

Focus Population: Students grades K-8 

Communities Served: Underserved, urban communities 

nationwide 

What is the community challenge? 

Between 1980 and 2008, rates of obesity among children in 

the United States nearly tripled. While only 6.5 percent of 

children ages 6 to 11 were classified as obese in 1980, this 

percent rose to 19.6 percent by 2008. In the past few years, 

the national rates of childhood obesity have stabilized. 

However, rates continue to rise for disadvantaged children, 

namely children living below 100 percent of the federal 

poverty level, publicly insured children, and AfricanAmerican and Hispanic children. These children may lack opportunities for physical activity in their schools 

and neighborhoods. Children who are overweight or obese face immediate and long-term health challenges, 

and are more likely to suffer physical problems such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. These 

health challenges can affect academic performance resulting in lower educational achievement and higher 

high school dropout rates, and in the long run, diminish opportunities for gainful employment. 

What is the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s promising solution?

Soccer for Success is a sports-based youth development program that serves 

children in grades K to 8 in underserved, urban communities. The program 

uses soccer as a tool to combat obesity, promote healthy eating and exercise 

habits, and foster positive youth development. The program consists of 

soccer activities that incorporate nutritional lessons for 90 minutes per day, 

three days a week, for 24 weeks during the school year. Adult coaches 

undergo extensive training to be mentors and educators for the youth. 

What did the evaluation of Soccer for Success find?

As a grantee of the Social Innovation Fund, the U.S. Soccer Foundation engaged an independent evaluator to 

conduct an evaluation of Soccer for Success. The study focused on three core health indicators for the 

evaluation: BMI percentile categories, waist circumference and aerobic capacity/fitness. The study found that 

Soccer for Success participants showed: 

 greater improvement towards healthy BMI and waist circumference categories than participants in 

other similar programs in the same neighborhoods; and, 

 greater improvement in aerobic capacity compared to participants in similar programs. 

In addition, the study found that Soccer for Success: 

 was implemented as designed (i.e. with fidelity) across the sites studied; and,

 had statistically significant and consistent results across different locations, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds supporting the conclusion that if the program were replicated with fidelity in 

other urban communities, similar results would be likely. 

To access the full evaluation report and learn more about CNCS, please visit nationalservice.gov/research. 

Office of Research and Evaluation, Corporation for National and Community Service June 2015
Evaluation Report Brief

U.S. Soccer Foundation : 

Soccer for Success

Office of Research and Evaluation, Corporation for National and Community Service June 2015

nationalservice.gov/research 2 

Evaluation design, timeline and study locations

Evaluation of the Soccer for Success was conducted in two phases. First, an independent implementation 

evaluation was conducted in 2012 that focused on program operations. Next, an independent impact 

evaluation was conducted during 2013 and 2014 and consisted of a one year, quasi-experimental design study. 

Baseline data for the study was collected in early fall of 2013 and follow-up data was collected in late spring of 

2014. The impact evaluation included 16 treatment sites and 14 control sites in five cities across the United 

States.

Evaluation At-a-Glance 

Level of Evidence before Evaluation*: Preliminary 

Level of Evidence** after Evaluation: Strong 

Evaluation Designs: Implementation evaluation; 

Impact evaluation (Quasi-Experimental Design) 

Study Population: Children grades K-5 

Evaluator(s): Child Trends (Implementation); 

Healthy Networks Design & Research (Impact) 

* SIF-supported interventions undergo a level of evidence assessment at the 

point of program entry and are expected to advance that base of evidence 

through rigorous evaluation during the grant period.

**SIF and AmeriCorps currently use different definitions of levels of evidence.

Study Locations 

How is the U.S. Soccer Foundation using the evaluation findings to improve? 

The U.S. Soccer Foundation believes that all children, regardless of financial background, should be able to 

reap the health benefits from the Soccer for Success program. The study produced evidence that supports U.S. 

Soccer Foundation’s aspiration of expanding the Soccer for Success program to reach more children. Part of the 

expansion will include strengthening their current partnerships and developing new ones to support the 

growth of Soccer for Success in more communities. 

The content of this brief was drawn from the full evaluation report submitted to CNCS by the grantee/subgrantee. The section of the brief that 

discusses evaluation use includes contribution of the grantee/subgrantee. All original content from the report is attributable to its authors.

The Social Innovation Fund (SIF), a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), combines public and private 

resources to grow the impact of innovative, community-based solutions that have compelling evidence of improving the lives of people in lowincome communities throughout the United States. The SIF invests in three priority areas: economic opportunity, healthy futures, and youth 

development.