Breathing In LA: SPORT FOR CHANGE: CHANGING THE GAME

The following post is from YouthNoise Play City—a community dedicated to changing the world through sports and play. PLAY ON!

I love Spring Break. I've finally had the chance to catch some games: Portugal tied Manchester United yesterday (ouch), I caught UCONN's dominance on the court (the men and the women's team), and I FIFA'd it up at a homie's house for a few hours.

SPORT FOR CHANGE: GETTING INVOLVED
If there's one thing I've been able to savor the last few days, it's the awesome power of team play. I absolutely love it! And a lot has also happened in the last few days that reminds me of the importance of sports for change and positively changing the world through teamwork.

A destructive earthquake rocked Italy, killing hundreds, and brought centuries-old buildings to their ruin. President Obama visited Turkey and stated that the US is not at war with Islam. And a series of shootings have taken place all over the nation in the last few weeks--the most recent here in Temecula, California.

How does any of this relate? Well, thankfully, SoHoB wrote about the Salvation Army's work in local neighborhoods. It's a fine example of community at work, working as a team. Not only do community-based organizations sustain a number of households in times of economic hardship like now, but these same groups are often the first, second, and third responders to areas ravaged by natural disasters and other emergencies. They are also heavily committed to serving the needs of diverse groups like the homeless, mentally ill, drug and alcohol abusers, veterans of foreign wars, youth, adults, and senior citizens.

OUR COMMUNITIES AT WORK

I think we all should familiarize ourselves with such groups as the local Salvation Army, Red Shield, Red Cross, Boys and Girls Club, and YMCA. These long-standing institutions and others like them have changed a number of lives and also serve as a beacon to the community during distress.

I'm sure there are a number of lesser-known organizations out there that serve the community too (from local to international). As for me, I'm on it. Over the next two weeks or so, I'm going to find local organizations that work with youth through dance, soccer, basketball, and art. These are the things that interest me and I can't wait to see the complex and multi-faceted work occurring at the community level. I'd Love to hear about what's going down in your community!