South Bronx United (SBU) is a nonprofit youth development organization with a mission of using soccer as a tool for social change. More than 1,400 young people, beginning at age four and all the way through college, will have participated in programs this year on the soccer field, in the classroom, and in the community.

Founded in 2009 to address a lack in youth athletic programs in the South Bronx, the organization's programs have grown to combine soccer with academic enrichment, college prep, mentoring, leadership development, health and wellness programs, immigration legal services, and other family and youth supports. The SBU Academy has a 100% high school graduation rate and 94% college matriculation rate. College-readiness rates of graduates are three-times the rate of their peers.

I've chosen to fundraise for SBU because the combination of academics and athletics have long been a critical part of my life. Academics has been a way to develop my work ethic, learn new things, and expose myself to new ideas. However, the most important lessons I've learned have been on the playing field. Athletics helped me build my skills in teamwork, determination, and leadership in addition to many more, all of which continue to impact the person I am today. In college, I saw firsthand how athletics could bring together hundreds of people from different areas, upbringings, and socioeconomic backgrounds to work together for one common goal. I can't think of a better way to give back than to combine two areas that made be the person I've become.

I encourage you to visit southbronxunited.org to see more for yourself. This cause is very dear to me, and I appreciate support in all amounts. Together we can make a difference!

-Brendan