Brecksville-Broadview Heights Soccer (BBHS) and American Soccer Academy (ASA) has partnered with Girls with Sole! (GWS), a local nonprofit organization focusing on fitness and wellness to empower the minds, bodies and souls of girls in the Cleveland area who have experienced some form of abuse.

Frank Fantozzi, Director of BBHS and ASA, fully believes in the Girls with Soles! mission. As a father with daughters and the founder of BBHS and ASA, he states that “Fitness, athletics and team sports are great for empowering children.” To support Girls with Sole!, BBHS and ASA will pay program costs for any of the girls served by GWS who choose to play
competitive soccer in the fall or spring seasons.

Liz Ferro, the Director and Founder of Girls with Sole!, states she is excited and grateful for BBHS and ASA’s support in the southern suburbs and sees this as a fitting complement to their other fitness and wellness programs which include yoga, dance and traditional team sports.

“Girls need someone to believe in them so that they may believe in themselves,” Ferro states. “Many of these girls who have experienced abuse would otherwise have no place to participate in sports or group exercise in a safe environment, or have access to group athletics. BBHS and ASA have unselfishly done a great job in the community by creating a wonderful environment for children to feel welcome and safe as they learn how to play soccer correctly.”

As Girls with Sole! strives to raise money to fund programs to help local girls rebuild their lives and their self-esteem, Ferro says BBHS and ASA’s support gets them closer to their goals. Ferro believes that giving girls an opportunity to make healthier choices for themselves will also help reduce the instances of abuse and help them to lead productive lives. Among the statistics she sites:

- About 1 in 4 teens reports verbal, physical, emotional or sexual abuse each year.
- About 1 in 5 High School girls has been physically or sexually abused by a dating partner.
- 90-95% of sexual abuse cases go unreported to the police.
- Being abused is consistently identified as the first step along a girl's pathway into the juvenile justice system.

To learn more about Girls with Sole and Brecksville-Broadview Heights Soccer and American Soccer Academy, please go to www.GirlsWithSole.com and www.BrecksvilleSoccer.org.