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CharityBall
In Ball Deliveries

Hope Rising in Kenya

Over the holidays, Margaret Mongare, a student at Stanford University, delivered soccer balls on behalf of Charity Ball to the Hope Raisers Football Association at the Baba Dogo primary school in Nairobi, Kenya. The school provides free primary level education to children from the slum neighborhoods that encompass the school. Most individuals living there earn less than a dollar a day; gangs and drugs are prevalent due to a lack of proper peer support and mentorship. The school has a football field where students practice soccer.

Margaret said, “Meeting the kids was amazing and it reminded me how we should never take for granted mentoring kids growing up in poverty. An interaction can inspire someone, and a piece of advice can light up their path.” She went on to say, “We can forget that we still have a lot to offer others in terms of our time and intellectual resource,”  and that it’s the people who work hard and who live with courage and hope that really do change the world. We couldn’t agree more!

Margaret has worked with this community for the past 6 years and hopes that the new Charity Balls can contribute towards making the world a better place for the kids in the area.

Charity Ball sends it special thanks to Margaret for her outstanding work and contribution. Because of her efforts, children in poverty now have a reason to dream big.

CharityBall
In Uncategorized

Gaming For Change

Sports have always provided Michael Bush & Jack Wilson of South Lakes High School, in Reston, VA great memories and experiences that have helped to shape their lives. So when it came time for both to pick a project for their MYP (Middle Years Project), the Charity Ball was a natural fit. Bush is a member of the BRYC Elite Soccer Club and Wilson plays for South Lake’s basketball and lacrosse teams. Both are also active video game players. Having seen the success South Lakes junior Bardia Kimiavi had in raising money for the Charity Ball last year through a video game tournament, Bush & Wilson jumped at the chance to continue the tradition.

“Bardia showed us the ropes, and we made it a goal to exceed last year’s total of $500” Bush said. “We have a real competitive group in the junior and sophomore classes, which helped in getting entrants” said Wilson. The two decided on holding both a FIFA and 2k tournament that raised $850 and saw participants ranging from freshman to alumni. “It feels good to give soccer players from parts of the world that don’t have the opportunities we have been provided a chance to play the game they love” Bush said. “There were some close games and the rooms got hyped, you really felt the sense of community” said Wilson. For Jon McNamara, the South Lakes teacher who supervised the tournament, that was the most powerful part. “As I watched one of the games that went to overtime, I realized we had seven years of students together in one room for a great cause. Our school is built off community and the theme once a Seahawk, always a Seahawk and I really felt that brotherhood that day”.  Towards the end of the day Wilson said a few freshman came up to him wondering if they could continue the tournament next year for their MYP. “It looks like charity video game tournament is here to stay” he said.  “It feels great to tie in two big parts of our life, sports and gaming and help out people at the same time”. It’s clear the partnership with Charity Ball has helped out some deserving kids and provided some new memories for these two student athletes.

Huge thanks to Michael and Jack for using what you love to do to make a difference!

Sam Barthel
In Soccer Culture

How to Enjoy a 0-0 Game

Before I get too into this enthralling topic I would like to thank Manchester United Football Club and their enigmatic manager, Jose Mourinho, for the inspiration. With the source of this article clearly defined, I can say that it is very difficult to enjoy a game like the one we saw on Monday between Liverpool and Man U.

Personally, I was a Jose Mourinho fan when he was at Chelsea the first time, and a little bit less during his second spell. This is mainly because he is afraid of nobody, and is not afraid to speak his mind to the press, or poke fun at an opposing manager, *cough* Arsene Wenger *cough*. That being said, he seems to have turned up his trash talk now that he is Manchester and turned down his desire to play attacking football. At any previous club he has managed he was known for parking the bus on occasion, and it is typically effective at killing the game.

That is what made Monday such a sad game. Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp have been one of the most dynamically scoring teams in the Premier League since his arrival, and with Man U assembling the most expensive team of stars IN THE LEAGUES HISTORY it was a mouthwatering match up. So when Jose parked the most expensive bus in England in front of their goal at Anfield you could feel the disappointment. The drab game finished 0-0 with the only highlights being a couple of David De Gea saves, and Mourinho was quoted after the game saying, “It was a good performance and the result is acceptable.”

With another big game coming up for United and Mourinho, at Chelsea on Sunday at 11am (EST), will there be a tactical change? Or will the irony of Mourinho parking the bus at Stamford Bridge take over? From the fans point of view, I sincerely hope the game is less defensive and more open.

So my advice for enjoying a 0-0 game is; you don’t. Take a nap like I did.

SamBarthel

By: Sam Barthel, Team Charity Ball
CharityBall
In Soccer Culture

Club Profile: Olympique de Marseille

For some time Marseille has been known as the second biggest club in France with a great successful history and amazing fan base. Here is some other need to know’s about the L’OM.

Founded it 1899

Home Stadium: Stade Velodrome (since 1937 and it’s beautiful) holds 67,394 which is bigger than Arsenal’s homes stadium, The Emirates

marseille-stadium

Successes: Ten time French Champions, Ten Time Coupe De France Winners, One time UEFA Champions League winner (only French team to ever win it)

Notable Former Players: Steve Mandanda, Dmitri Payet, Andre Ayew, Didier Drogba, Michy Batshuayi (twitter legend), Frank Ribery, Samir Nasri, Cesar Azpilicueta

Why you should use them in FIFA 17? Pacey wingers, and some solid midfielders with a big striker means possibility for greatness but a poor defense and goalkeeper might hinder that. Better off using them for a challenging manager career mode

What else? They were recently purchased by American Frank McCourt, who used to be the LA Dodgers owner. Which means they might come to America for summers and there are big changes will be happening and hopefully Marseille will rise to challenge PSG in France. They are rumored to be bringing in Luis Campos for their new Sporting Director, who currently works at Manchester United as a scout, and previously worked at Monaco bringing in players like James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao and Anthony Martial to the club.

The future is finally looking up in Marseille so keep your eye on that club, give them a try on FIFA Manager Career Mode, they always have cool jerseys and check out their stadium, it’s dope.

mstad

SamBarthel

By: Sam Barthel, Team Charity Ball
CharityBall
In News, Products, Soccer Culture

The Charity Ball Supporter Scarf

We recently released our latest Charity Ball product, the super-cool CB Supporter Scarf.

Back in April, some of the guys at Team Charity Ball thought we should design a custom soccer scarf to give people another way to support the cause. We wanted the look to be simple, clean, and still feel like a scarf you would wear or rep at a professional soccer game.  The Charity Ball colors, red, white and black, were a non-negotiable for the first round.

scarf_2493

The limited edition scarves are made out of 100% acrylic and are high-definition jacquard knit.

At a $25 price point, it’s the perfect compliment to your Charity Ball event, fundraiser or more beautiful lifestyle.

Stop by our online shop and order yours today.

– Jaden King

CharityBall
In Products

The Nike Magista 2

Two years ago during the 2014 World Cup, Nike introduced a new pair of cleats that would replace the CTR360 boots; The Magista. Today a new iteration of Magista has arrived.

NIKE-MAGISTA-OBRA-II-PAIR

Benefits

Nike spent the last two years researching and remodeling the Magista. They added a new material (3D Textured Touch) in areas of high use of the foot to enhance your touch on the ball which is represented by the new Heat Map color-way. Nike has also put four additional studs on the sole, called the Rotational Zone, which is ideal for quick turns during the game. The Flyknit upper has been changed as well to create areas of increased breathability. Nike has added the Flyknit upper to the Magista Orden, just like the Mercurial Veloce. Also, the cleat itself is 30% lighter allowing the player to move quicker with the ball.

magista-2-launch-img7

At the start of the Euro 16, the Mercurial Superfly IV and a new skin for the Hypervenom was released. The Magista was not invited to the party because Nike wanted to make its debut during the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Prices

Magista Obra: $300, Magista Opus: $230, Magista Orden: $170, Magista Onda: $75, Magista Proximo: $175 (indoor with Flyknit upper), Magista Finale: $100 (indoor)

Check em out here

– Jaden King

CharityBall
In Uncategorized

The 2016/17 Nike Ordem 4 Match Ball

With the 16/17 European season just around the corner, it’s fitting that we give a quick precursory nod to the new Ordem 4 Match Ball. Nike’s newest installment is the official match ball for La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League. The 4 comes inked with juicy 3-D flow motion colors, a new state-of-the-art bladder system, fuse-weld panels and aero trac grooves.

 NikeOrdem4

The entire soccer ball is overlaid with Nike’s black iconic flicker cage. The cage often gets mixed reviews. At first glance, some might wonder, why did Nike intentionally put (what looks like) ugly black electrical tape over a wicked-cool ball.  As we’ve learned, there’s always a method to Nike’s madness. The guys at Nike Lab wanted to keep pushing the limit on design to help players judge flight movement. The genius behind the cage is that when the ball moves in the air, it creates a contrasting flicker – allowing the player to track the ball and respond with a higher degree of accuracy. Whether you like the look of the cage or not, there is no denying that it’s function is pretty smooth.

OrdemPrem1617 

Huge props to Nike for their ongoing efforts to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete.
The Nike Ordem 4 is available at nike.com and selected retailers.

 

CharityBall
In Fundraisers, Get Involved

Xtreme Consulting Partners with Charity Ball

We’d like to thank Xtreme Consulting Group for launching the first Charity Ball online fundraiser with our new campaign interface. Xtreme is using their company event to invite employees, family and friends to join them in making a difference in kids’ lives. Each dollar donated at their event or online will be matched by Xtreme. Check it out here.

XtremeSoundersCampaign

Interested in having your company, group or team start a Charity Ball online fundraiser? Contact us to get started or register your own campaign here.

Thanks for helping us make the world more beautiful!

-Team Charity Ball