About

Welcome to Around the Worlds! My name is Stephen Schirra, and I am very excited to share more about our organization.

I grew up playing soccer, a common experience for the average American kid. Having access to sports and recreational activities was the norm; I knew no different. Growing up, I wanted to make an impact in my community, so I was a volunteer coach, worked with Special Olympics of Connecticut and participated in inner-city mentorship programs. 

Before college, I wanted to pursue Mechanical Engineering and use my degree to provide clean drinking water to communities all over the world. Impacting the world is a challenge I readily pursued. My priorities shifted and I ultimately earned a degree in Actuarial Science at the University of Connecticut. I never imagined the game I loved as a child, becoming my gateway for driving change. 

Soccer exists as its own culture, transcending borders, boundaries and societal differences. Through our global programs, I’ve seen the immense growth, promise and joy soccer gives children. I visit impoverished communities consumed by violence, crime, and poverty. We provide a healthy way for our beneficiaries to escape from their hardships, teaching them teamwork and leadership skills. At the end of our workshops, all participants receive a new soccer ball and t-shirt commemorating their time with us.

I want to lift kids up, give them opportunities to grow beyond what they imagined possible, and inspire others to follow their passions. I encourage them to play, learn and dream.

When I began Around the Worlds, I didn’t know what impact I’d have on these communities. Would they accept me? Would they become inspired? Now, after five years, I know that they have impacted me greatly and I hope they feel the same.

I love sports and can’t imagine a world without them. My goal is to share the value of sport with as many as possible while driving global change.

Thank you for supporting Around the Worlds.

Play together. Learn together. Dream together.

Stephen Schirra, Founder

What we do

Around the Worlds, Around the World teaches the game of soccer to underprivileged children from underserved communities worldwide. We provide soccer workshops free-of-charge for kids from circumstances, varying in degrees of extremity. Each workshop concludes with a gift of soccer balls and other miscellaneous soccer equipment to the group we work with, so that they can continue to learn and grow in the game long after our presence is no longer there, nor needed.

Why

The game of soccer has always had this incredible power to transcend boundaries in race, gender, religion, and even socio-economic status. In essence, that’s what makes it the perfect platform to affect change where change is needed. Soccer can be seen as an escape for children who have endured such struggle at such a young age, and for some, it can even represent an opportunity to break away from the perils of poverty. When connecting these kids to the sport, it is never truly known what the final outcome may be, but we can only hope that their lives have been changed just as much as ours have.