Play. Give Joy.
Our Story
Play4More™ soccer is about encouraging soccer players and families to play soccer for more
ROOTED IN SERVICE
How It All Began
My boys and I were looking for a summer service opportunity…
Knowing we had a large population of resettled refugees in our town that didn’t have the resources to attend many of the summer camps and other offerings available in our city, we worked with our local International Rescue Committee and a collegiate soccer player to host a free three-day soccer camp for about 30 resettled refugee kids. It was a huge success, and now we host a soccer camp every summer.
The first camp helped us get to know some of the kids better, and they wanted to find times to play soccer beyond the three days of camp. So, we started to play pick-up games with them regularly. We noticed that this play time was extremely valuable to them as it helped them, at least for a little while, forget all the hard things in their lives. It also helped them make connections in the community as we brought friends and neighbors to the field.
Working with a local Maker Space, we invited some of our refugee friends to use their creativity and design the exterior of a soccer ball. They came up with some fantastic designs! We used their designs to launch a soccer ball company with a unique mission–to help create more moments of joy through play for kids around the globe.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Play4More exists to positively impact refugees through the game of soccer.
Our goal is to use the game of soccer to bring hope, joy, and flourishing into the lives of refugees and children living in poverty. Our foundation has four pillars of impact.
Our focus on helping refugees stems from the work of our Founder, Jason Morris, who started soccer camps for refugees in Abilene, Texas.
Kibo Soccer Balls
Infused with an entrepreneurial spirit, our non-profit sells high-quality Kibo branded soccer balls designed by resettled refugee children and occasionally by special guests or celebrity designers. The Kibo name is the Japanese word for “Hope” and the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro – a nod to our global ambitions. For each ball sold, a ball is donated to a refugee child or a child living in poverty. Our current list of celebrity designers and soccer ambassadors are Bernard Kamungo (FC Dallas) and Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit and USWNT).
Hope Scholars
Education and career training have the potential to be a “game changer” for refugees who resettle in the U.S. With an established partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s, WelcomeCorp on Campus program, Hope Scholarships will be awarded annually to refugee students to receive higher levels of education.
Kibo Camps
Established on a college campus, our foundation has access to thousands of students who desire to serve and make a difference in the world. Ideally, Kibo Camps will grow through the years to other campuses; each camp helping us teach soccer skills and share joy and hope through human interaction. Professional and collegiate soccer players will also be invited to conduct camps through our foundation each year during their off season, providing a way for our ambassadors to use their platform to make a positive impact in the world.
Special Projects
Fund a field for refugee play in Abilene, Texas.