CHICAGO (Sept. 10, 2024) - U.S. Soccer, in partnership with Integrated Dreams, will again host the annual ADAPTandTHRIVE Leadership Course to empower individuals to become advocates for inclusion and change within their soccer communities. The second edition of the course in the United States will begin with week-long, in-person workshops from Dec. 4-11 in Metro Atlanta.
By providing training in leadership skills, diversity awareness, and inclusive practices, the ADAPTandTHRIVE Leadership Course will equip participants with the tools to drive positive transformations and be catalysts for change in their respective soccer communities.
Following the lead of the inaugural event last year, this year’s course will focus leadership training on various topics related to soccer in the United States. At the conclusion of the week, participants will return to their communities, and with the help of mentors, spend the next six months implementing a project that will elevate disability soccer. At the conclusion of this practical phase, candidates will gather in person and present their experience in front of an expert panel.
Application for the ADAPTandTHRIVE Leadership Course is open now through November 1. To apply, interested applicants should visit https://integrated-dreams.org/adaptandthrive.
One of the long-term goals for the ADAPTandTHRIVE Leadership Course is to also provide a runway to ensure U.S. Soccer has access to a more inclusive workforce across the board and in growing access for disability soccer programs nationwide. The program will ultimately be part of the Federation's legacy as the U.S. builds toward hosting a myriad of major soccer competitions through the 2028 Summer Olympics, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
U.S. Soccer’ s ADAPTandTHRIVE program, originally launched in 2020, is a finalist for this year’s Eli Wolff Football Without Limits award at the prestigious World Football Summit in Spain. The ADAPTandTHRIVE program is a combination of soccer-based initiatives which aim to impact the disability community in the United States and beyond.Beyond the Leadership Course, other initiatives in the program include:
Integrated Dreams is a non-profit Association based in Lisbon, Portugal, working for the inclusion of disabled people in the sports industry. Our Mission: to increase the representation of disabled people in the sports World. Our Vision: a sports world as a place where all people reach their fullest potential. Inclusion, development, and education remain our core values.
The ADAPTandTHRIVE program is a first-of-its-kind combination of soccer-based initiatives (currently six initiatives are part of the ADAPTandTHRIVE Program) which aim to impact the disability community. The innovative, multi-pronged approach hits on youth empowerment, leadership, awareness raising and opportunity creation. These creative elements set the program apart and position it as a trailblazer in promotion inclusivity within the soccer community.