Tag Archives: Kicking It

Kicking It at Kastles Stadium for the 2010 Street Soccer Cup!

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I have been a proud supporter of Street Soccer USA and the Homeless World Cup for several years now. It is a wonderful charity that my family and I have grown very close to. Their use of the power of sport to help the homeless is inspiring and has helped countless people who have been or are currently homeless. That is why we are proud to support this weekend’s 2010 Street Soccer USA Cup being held at Kastles Stadium in downtown Washington D.C (11th and H Streets, NW). It is so appropriate that we can continue to celebrate Street Soccer’s efforts here in the nation’s capital. Thanks to Mark Ein and his team at the Washington Kastles, we can enjoy holding the Cup in DC for another amazing year.

Please come out this weekend to Kastles Stadium to cheer our players on as they battle for the coveted Street Soccer Cup. The players will be arriving from cities all over the country this Thursday and will be ready to begin play on Friday. The opening ceremonies will commence at 5:20 pm on Friday afternoon with games to quickly follow. Play starts back up early Saturday morning at 8:00 am and continues until 8:00 pm. The final day of competition will see the crowning of a new champion with games beginning at 8:20 am and lasting through the closing ceremonies, which are scheduled for 3:30 pm. There will also be a couple of concerts periodically throughout the day, so there will be plenty to see and enjoy. It is really important that we have a big crowd to cheer on these inspiring figures and push them to new heights. I plan on attending several matches and will be in attendance for the ceremonies as well. My son will also be at the tournament to volunteer and help out. The tournament will be taking walk-up volunteers in the morning, so its not too late to help out if you would like. I am excited to see competitive soccer in an outdoor venue. I encourage you to come out, join us, and enjoy great soccer. Oh, and tickets for attending the event are free :) .

The Leonsis Foundation has been strong supporters of this charity and their leadership, which includes Lawrence Cann. You may remember him from an article in People magazine last year. His commitment to rescuing the homeless has been a big reason for our continual support. I am also very proud to say that one of my good friends and partners at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Dr. Sheila Johnson, has become involved with the charity as well. Dr. Johnson continues to set a great example. Her help with Street Soccer USA has been invaluable.

If you haven’t heard of Street Soccer before, or just want more information about it, check out the film Kicking It. It is about the Homeless World Cup that took place in South Africa. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. It is an amazing story.

Thank God for the Goddess

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Sheila Nevins is a goddess. She is serious and talented and the most important figure out there to documentary film makers. HBO showcases great films and original programming like no other network, and Sheila is the person who has the “golden gut” and great taste. When she falls in love with a film, the film maker is far better off for it.

I was honored that she chose to acquire “Nanking” for HBO. She and her team worked tirelessly on its behalf and helped us to secure a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award.

She is the best. Thanks HBO too!

I have made two films. The distributor of Nanking, Thinkfilms, is out of business. The second film “Kicking It” — the distributor is out of business. The DVD distributor is out of business, too! This industry is shrinking and is in trouble. Sheila Nevins is a goddess.

Thank goodness HBO still thrives. Thank goodness SnagFilms is rocking, as is IndieWIRE, too!

Proud of My Son

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My son received a nice and warm recognition last night at the “Sport for Social Change” Gala. The award was for his work on Street Soccer USA, and his volunteerism around the issue of homelessness in DC and at his University. Sheila Johnson was recognized as well. A great night of friends and family. See an interview with my son here.

Lawrence Cann is a saint. He is the star of our film called “Kicking It.” Watch it here. He created this charitable franchise and it works. It scales and it is worthy of your support. Check it out here.

Countdown to Street Soccer Tourney in DC

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As many of you have requested, here is the information about the Street Soccer Tournament coming to downtown DC. Click here for information on volunteering, attending the tournament or coming to some of the parties and related information.

This is a worthy cause. A ball can change your life. And for inspiration watch Kicking It on SnagFilms. Click here to watch the movie.

“Kicking It” Most Popular on Hulu

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This is so touching to me. Our film Kicking It has emerged as a most popular film on Hulu.

Think of the synergy here. We produce the film Kicking It. It is an effort of love and a great example of “Filmanthropy”. We now support Street Soccer and the Homeless World Cup as charity concerns too.

Kicking It goes on to SnagFilms. It is seen by the web at large via widgets and our site, SnagFilms.com.
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Not Invisible

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Homelessness is a big and ongoing problem in our nation. And with the economy in shambles, it is a growing problem indeed.

In this land of plenty where we offer trillions of dollars to rich people and corporations, to see people living on the street is heart-wrenching. To see people sleeping outside in the cold and the rain just blocks from the Capitol Building and the White House is just plain WRONG!

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