When Soccer Brings Healing: KSC Partners with The Village That Heals for Summer Soccer Programs

Summer 2023 was a unique summer for KSC, because instead of solely having an organization-sponsored summer camp, we partnered with community-based organizations to provide soccer programs throughout the city of Kensington. In addition to our Impact Summer, hosted at Hissey Playground, McPherson Square, and Harrowgate Park from the months of July-August, we partnered with community leaders like Brenda Mosely to provide soccer activities and skills-training to the children she serves in her organization “By Faith, Health and Healing”. While the children enjoyed the soccer activities, our involvement in this program was profound because it built upon our collaborative work over the past 6+ years to create more safe spaces for children to play soccer.

Around the corner from NKCDC is a lot enclosed by a fence with a big tent. Upon arrival, one would see the effervescent Brenda Mosely sitting at the head of two tables shaped in a T formation. As she shared her story, she watched over children of different races, ages and ethnicities who sat across from her coloring, and others enjoying a co-ed game of soccer led by Coach Marvin and a volunteer. Coach Marvin is one of KSC’s Up2Us Coaches who has helped coach KSC Recreational Programs, and facilitated activities at community events and programs. But it was clear that this group was special. 

As Community Health Worker for NKCDC, Ms. Moseley has been involved in a litany of activities relating to the work in the community.  The Summer Camp hosted at the Village, is a product of the organization she started in 2021, By Faith, Health and Healing Inc. Mosely explained how the construction of the fence around this property on Amber Street was a part of a Department of Justice funded-project that led to the creation of the camp. 

While this camp has been active for two years, the collaboration between Moseley and Kensington Soccer Club has a long history. Initially it was a challenge getting access to purchase the land from ConRail, but in 2016, Kensington Soccer Club started sending coaches to as she said, “kick the ball around”. When they were given permission to build the fence in 2021, Moseley explains how she was given the opportunity to start a camp. At the time, KSC was hosting soccer programs at the Community Center at Visitation. Moseley was familiar with Jim and Dan Hardy’s community outreach through the sport of soccer, so she approached Jim and asked, “when would you like to start sending coaches for the kids?", and the first camp with KSC coaches started in the Summer of 2022. As she described, “The coaches started coming out, and the kids started coming out, and they really enjoyed it.” Now a little over a year later, KSC coaches and volunteers engage campers in games from our curriculum, and the afternoon ends with a fast-paced scrimmage.

With our collaboration over the past several years, it is clear that soccer is not only a tool that can unite the community, but a vehicle to heal the community: the people, and the public spaces. On the outstet, it is like any summer program where kids can enjoy crafts, recreational activities, and a tasty snack break, but after talking to Brenda it is clear that everyone involved in the planning and execution of these summer programs are healing. 

Brenda explains, “Just to say that being in this area, there is a lot of trauma that these kids have to deal with. Not only the trauma that they see everyday in their passing going to school and having their issues at home but the traumatic events going on. Their behaviors are a little more in that, they don’t play, they push, more to be fighting each other, but they call it “play” because it is really rough. They never knew how to channel anger until Kensington Soccer came last year. That gave them a structured foundation, a way of kicking the ball. They did really well.”

 As Brenda talked, she referenced the stories of the children that surrounded her – she has helped their parents navigate their own individual traumas. She is also joined by other women who supervise the camp, that she explained are part of her own healing circle. As she described the stories of the children that sat and played around her, as well as the people who helped with the sessions, it provided greater meaning to the alternative name for the program: The Village that Heals. 

In addition to inviting Kensington Soccer Club to visit the camp, Brenda was very intentional about providing opportunities for children to see life outside of the village. She explains, “I was given the opportunity to take them on a couple of trips so they could see what the world looked like outside of Kensington, outside of this village. Their parents don’t really allow them from back here [she gestured to the houses on the end of the corner].” 

Brenda articulated her intention with choosing the village as a place to host structured play, and to be in a safe space with kids. She expounds upon the growth of children’s soccer skills just in our second year of working together.

“Kensington Soccer gives them an opportunity to release stress, to play, to get it all out. And it did make them a little better people. And this year, they are even better, because they know how to maneuver the ball. When you say, “Kensington Soccer” they light up.

Every week, they want to see them, they ask where’s Kensington Soccer, and they really look forward to their Wednesday sessions with the organization.”

While Kensington Soccer Club provides healing through the sport of soccer, other days of the week are filled with art activities hosted by Mural Arts Philadelphia; enhanced communication skills through an ASL program, and more, in addition to trips! Many may wonder why a camp emphasizes healing, in a political system that discusses prevention and intervention.

Brenda shares that: “We all need healing either from a pre-existing condition, but trauma matters. I was raised; I’m a survivor of ACES: Adverse Childhood Experiences; I had to experience child abuse, molestation, from the age of 2-7 from family members in addition to emotional abuse. I was raised in a household of addicts, and I was never given any positive affirmations. I was always given [told] you ain’t nothing, you ain’t going to be nothing. I grew up and I turned to drugs early, and I did a lot of things to hide, for the sake of my emotions, I was never able to deal with them. And in 1991, I surrendered my life to God, and I had to...heal from all of those emotions.

Over a period of time, I celebrated 32 years June 2 of recovery; all substances, drugs, alcohol, even cigarettes, and so healing is my process. I had to heal from all of those things I had grown up with, all of those things mentally, spiritually, emotionally, I had to heal, and God helped me to heal in all of those areas. I went back to school, I got my diploma; my LPN license; associates degree in culture, science, and technology, so I’m shattering that whole saying you ain’t nothing, you ain’t going to be nothing.”

Through her recovery journey, Brenda got additional educational training, and was only two classes short of her Masters, when her daughter passed away from complications associated with Cerebral Palsey. Brenda’s tragic loss was the turning point that contributed to her decision to approach healing as a community.  

If you met Brenda Moseley, you would understand why we are honored to work with her. Her personal story of recovery from addiction, and healing from the tragic death of her daughter emphasize that amid the adversities that our community members face in Kensington and throughout Philadelphia, are stories of victory. It is important to empower leaders who have been impacted by the issues that plague our youth to be at the forefront of our efforts to introduce our youth to alternative pathways, in locations that are shrouded with such stigma. 

Our summer with Brenda Moseley shows us that the work of providing access to soccer for all is not solely about dispatching coaches to local community organizations and initiatiives. Making soccer accessible is also about uniting the forces in our neighborhood to create safe spaces for children to enjoy playing soccer.