Country of Residence
United States
Age
17
Project title
Goal Beyond Borders
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
Goal Beyond Borders is a community soccer program created to give refugee girls a place where they can feel seen, welcomed, and supported. Moving to a new country can bring many challenges, including adjusting to a new school, language, culture, and community. Some girls may also feel isolated or unsure of where they belong. Our project uses the power of soccer to help change that. We want to create a safe and positive team where refugee girls can come together, make friendship…
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharifa-ahmadi-696038340/
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Pilot-Stage (We’ve tried an activity or two)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
I am a girl who was born in a country where girls did not have the same opportunities to dream about their future. Growing up, I saw how difficult it could be for girls to follow their dreams, especially in sports. Soccer has always been something I truly love. When I was younger, I dreamed about becoming a soccer player, but where I was born, that dream did not feel possible. I had the passion, but I did not have the opportunity. Moving to the United States changed the way I saw my future. I realized how lucky I am to have opportunities that I once could only dream about. I can go to school, play soccer, make goals for my future, and believe that my dreams are possible. But I also started thinking about other refugee girls who may have the same dreams I had but still feel like they don’t have a place to belong. That became my “Aha!” moment. I realized that soccer could be more than just a sport. It could be a way to bring people together, build confidence, create friendships, and remind girls that they are capable of achieving more than they may believe. I want to bring refugee girls together through soccer and create a community where everyone feels welcome. My dream is not only to play the game I love, but to help other young people have the opportunity to discover their own dreams.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
The problem I want to help solve is the lack of opportunities, connection, and belonging that some refugee and immigrant young people can experience after coming to a new country. Starting a new life can be difficult. Young people may have to adjust to a new school, language, culture, and community while leaving behind people, places, and memories they love. As a girl who was born in a country where opportunities for girls were limited, this problem is personal to me. I know what it feels like to have dreams but not always have the freedom or opportunity to pursue them. Soccer was one of my biggest dreams, but I could not imagine having the same opportunities I have today.I believe every young person deserves a chance to participate, make friends, discover their talents, and dream about their future. Refugee girls should not feel like their past or circumstances should decide what they can become. This matters to me because I want other girls to have the opportunities I now have and to know that their dreams are worth pursuing.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
Goal Beyond Borders will create a welcoming community soccer program that brings refugee and immigrant girls together through the sport they love. The program will provide regular soccer practices, games, teamwork activities, mentorship, and opportunities for young people to build confidence and leadership skills.I want the program to be accessible to everyone, including young people who may not have the money, equipment, or connections needed to join a traditional soccer team. We would work with community organizations, schools, volunteers, coaches, and local soccer programs to find fields, equipment, and support. Although the main focus will be supporting refugee girls, I want Goal Beyond Borders to eventually bring everyone together—girls and boys, young people and older community members, refugees, immigrants, and people who have lived here their whole lives. Soccer can create a common language even when people come from different backgrounds. The program would be about more than practicing and playing games. We would create opportunities for players to encourage one another, learn leadership, build friendships, and feel comfortable being themselves. Older players and volunteers could mentor younger players, while everyone could contribute their own skills and experiences. My goal is to create a team where a girl who feels like she doesn’t belong can walk onto the field and realize, “I belong here.” I want every player to leave practice feeling more confident and connected than when they arrived.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
Because Goal Beyond Borders is still in the early idea and development stage, my biggest goal is to build the program and reach our first group of players. I hope to begin by bringing together a small group of refugee and immigrant girls who are interested in soccer and creating a consistent team environment for them. The impact I hope to create goes beyond the number of players on the field. I want girls to gain confidence, make friendships, improve their communication and teamwork skills, and feel more connected to their community. I want a girl who may have once felt that her future was limited to realize that she can set goals and work toward them. As the project grows, I hope to reach more refugee and immigrant families and eventually expand the program to include boys, younger children, older players, volunteers, coaches, and community members. I would measure our impact by the number of people who participate, practices and games held, equipment provided, partnerships created, and most importantly, the experiences and stories of the people involved. My dream is for Goal Beyond Borders to become a community where people from different backgrounds come together, support one another, and discover that something as simple as a soccer ball can create connection, hope, and opportunity.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
What makes Goal Beyond Borders different is that the project is not only focused on soccer. It combines sports, community, belonging, leadership, and opportunity.Traditional soccer programs often focus mainly on training players and winning games. Goal Beyond Borders would focus on the person behind the player. We would create a space where refugee and immigrant young people can build confidence, friendships, leadership skills, and connections while playing a sport they enjoy.Another important part of the project is that it is inspired by my own experience. I know what it feels like to have a dream but not have the opportunity to pursue it. Now that I have the opportunity to play soccer in the United States, I want to help create that opportunity for someone else. The project would also grow beyond one group. I want to bring girls and boys, different ages, refugees, immigrants, and other community members together. Instead of allowing differences in language, culture, age, or background to separate people, soccer becomes something everyone can share.The innovation is not necessarily inventing a new sport. It is using something people already love—soccer—in a new way: as a bridge between people and a pathway toward confidence, friendship, leadership, and belonging.
How many people are on your team?
5
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
Right now, I am the founder and main leader of Goal Beyond Borders. I am developing the idea, planning the program, and thinking about how to connect with refugee families, schools, community organizations, coaches, and volunteers. As the project grows, I hope to build a team of players, coaches, mentors, and community volunteers. I want leadership to be shared so everyone can contribute their ideas, experiences, and strengths.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next three months, my first goal is to turn Goal Beyond Borders from an idea into a real community program. I will begin by learning more about the needs of refugee and immigrant families and talking with young people who may be interested in joining. I will also reach out to schools, community organizations, soccer clubs, coaches, and local leaders to find potential partners.Next, I will work on finding an affordable or free place to practice and identifying ways to provide soccer balls, uniforms, and other equipment. I will create a simple plan for practices, games, and activities that focus not only on soccer skills but also on teamwork, confidence, leadership, and friendship. I also want to start building a volunteer network of people who believe in the mission and are willing to help coach, mentor, organize practices, or support the players. Once the foundation is ready, I hope to bring together our first group of players and hold our first practices.Over the next year, I want to grow the team, organize friendly games and community events, build more partnerships, and eventually welcome more participants. My long-term dream is to create a program that can continue growing and give more young people the opportunity to play, connect, and believe in their future.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I will share the story behind Goal Beyond Borders and explain why this project is personal to me. I want people to understand that this is not just about creating another soccer team—it is about creating opportunities for people who may not always feel included. I will reach out to schools, refugee and immigrant community organizations, youth programs, soccer clubs, and local community leaders to spread the word. Social media can also help us share information about practices, volunteer opportunities, and the purpose behind the project. I will especially encourage other young people to get involved as players, volunteers, mentors, or supporters. I want people to feel that they do not have to be an expert soccer player to make a difference. Someone can donate equipment, help organize a practice, mentor a younger player, or simply encourage someone on the field.My hope is that when people hear the story of Goal Beyond Borders, they see themselves as part of it. One person may start the idea, but a community can turn that idea into something much bigger.
