Steel United Soccer Club in Pennsylvania turned a simple Crossbar Challenge into a powerful youth soccer breast cancer fundraiser. Through Go Pink for the Cure, Komen’s fundraising program for sports teams, players and families came together to raise nearly $5,000, proving soccer can make an impact far beyond the field.
Soccer with a Purpose
For the leadership team at Steel United Soccer Club in Pennsylvania, their work is more than just soccer. “We’re a club that is heavily involved in social impact,” said Dakota Carroll, teams director of Steel United PA. “Simply put, we teach kids how to be good soccer players, but we also teach them to be good humans.”
For the past several years, the youth soccer club has dedicated the month of October to fundraising for Komen to help end breast cancer. What started as a small soccer breast cancer fundraiser raising a few hundred dollars grew significantly when Jessica Harpel joined the Steel United PA team as an assistant teams director.
Turning Soccer Practice into a Breast Cancer Fundraiser
While brainstorming ideas with Dakota and fellow assistant teams director Heather O’Rourke, Jessica recalled participating in a breast cancer fundraiser when she played youth soccer. “I had a blast when my team did it, so I pitched the idea of organizing a Crossbar Challenge for our teams,” Jessica said.
In soccer, the crossbar is the bar that runs across the top of the goal. Players often attempt to bounce the ball off the crossbar. “It’s not something that means anything during a game, but the kids love trying to hit it during practice,” Jessica said. “It’s a fun thing to do.”
Steel United PA has more than 500 players on 32 different teams. For the Crossbar Challenge, teams picked a designated practice night where players could donate $1 for a chance to hit the crossbar. “A lot of the parents were very generous, and some of them brought $20 bills so everyone on the team could try a couple of times,” Jessica said. “The teams had so much fun with it, and some of the coaches even got in on it.”
Heather added, “Normally, parents will drop off their kids and then come back to pick them up when practice is over. But during the challenge, they were on the sidelines actively watching it.”
Bringing Soccer Clubs Together with Go Pink for the Cure
The Steel United team organized the fundraiser through Go Pink for the Cure, Komen’s breast cancer fundraising program for sports teams that focuses on awareness and healthy living. Working with the Go Pink team, Steel United set up a fundraising page where parents and players could make online donations.
“It was super easy to navigate and track the donations as they came in,” Jessica said. “The Go Pink team was incredibly fast to respond when we had questions.”
Additionally, they presented the opportunity for other Steel United clubs to participate in the soccer breast cancer fundraiser. The Texas and Massachusetts regions chose to support the campaign with their own fundraising.
“Both regions had a positive experience and expressed interest in participating again in the future,” Jessica said. “We also hope to expand involvement to additional regions in the future.”
Making an Impact Beyond the Soccer Field
The weekend after the Crossbar Challenge, the Steel United PA teams played in a tournament, and all teams – boys and girls – showed their support for the campaign by wearing pink. “The kids and their parents showed up and made the extra effort,” Heather said. “That really spoke volumes to me.”
By the end of the fundraising campaign, Steel United PA families raised nearly $5,000, showcasing how youth sports teams can make a meaningful difference in the fight to end breast cancer.
“It’s simple, but it makes such an impact,” Heather said. “We made sure the players knew the impact of their donations. It wasn’t just about hitting the crossbar – there was a bigger purpose.”
Get Involved with Go Pink for the Cure
Go Pink for the Cure is Komen’s sports and schools-focused fundraising program that encourages breast cancer awareness and healthy living while fundraising to help end breast cancer. Whether you’re looking to fundraise with a school group, sports team or fitness studio, you can play for a purpose when you Go Pink for the Cure. Learn more at Komen.org/GoPink.
Statements and opinions expressed are those of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.
