Minnesota Thunder Soccer Program Keeps Immigrant Youth away from the Streets

The Twin Cities is one of the most diverse places in the United States. Immigrants come from all around the world to Minnesota to find work, receive a quality education, and to play the game of soccer. The Minnesota Thunder soccer organization has developed a program called Minnesota Thunder Plus that gives immigrant children a chance to learn and play the sport they love. These children mainly come from Africa, but there are also youth from Mexico and Central America as well.

The program consists of a classroom session in St Paul’s Ober Community Center where kids can get an education by learning subjects like mathematics, science, and language arts. Another component to this program is playing soccer. This part of Minnesota Thunder Plus is a way for different ethnic backgrounds to come together and play soccer like one big family.

When these children first arrived to the United States, soccer disappeared from their lives because of language barriers, skin color, lack of education, and little money. These children had literally no place to go except to the streets. With Minnesota Thunder Plus, poor immigrant children have a place to go every Thursday afternoon. Instead of risking their lives in gangs throughout dangerous neighborhoods, these children can participate in a safe environment with a community of soccer players. Minnesota Thunder Plus is an excellent program that the Thunder soccer club put together to help reduce violence and crime on the streets. Through this program, the youth have made many friends, and now, they are like a group of brothers.

This program was set up in 2002 by Minnesota Thunder Plus executive director Jean Paul Biggirindavyi. He played professional soccer in Berundi, so he knows what impact the game of soccer is having on these immigrants. Biggirindavyi has one major roadblock to his program. This setback is trying to find places for these children to play at. Money is hard to come by as well, even though most of the program is covered by grants. Biggirindavyi has a tough task at hand, but he knows that he is doing the right thing for these children. Hopefully, Minnesota Thunder Plus is just the start for more soccer clubs to help keep the youth off the streets.