CLEVELAND — There's no sport hotter right now than soccer. The 2026 FIFA World Cup has the sport in the spotlight. And right here in Cleveland, there's a push to provide access to the sport to those who might not have had it before.
George Berry is an avid soccer fan, but seeing that the sport doesn't have the same presence in the inner city as it does in more suburban areas made Berry want to act.
"I'm a huge soccer fan. I love the world's game and one thing I found out in America is soccer is very expensive here. It's very hard on families to pay for youth soccer," he said.
According to a 2019 study by the Aspen Institute, parents reported costs for pay-to-play soccer that were 2 to 3 times higher than for sports like basketball and football. It's an issue across the country. A study conducted this spring in the New York City region found that nearly one-third of players (32%) cited expensive team fees as a major issue, a figure that rose to 41% among children from low-income households.
That's why Berry founded his organization, Goal Dreams.
"Goal Dreams is a nonprofit that is made to spread the game of soccer in the community. It's free soccer. We give kids out free cleats, free jerseys," Berry said. "Goal Dreams is making that opportunity free for families to give kids the opportunity to play."
Holding practices on the soccer pitch at Lonnie Burten Recreation Center, which was installed in partnership with Black Players for Change, an independent organization of nearly 200 players, staff and coaches from MLS, bringing inclusion through sport, Goal Dreams sees kids from the area coming out to learn the game.
"We're playing soccer with my coach and we're loving these drills and stuff, playing games, see who wins and trying my best out here," said 10-year-old Mani Jennings.
Mani joined in on Goal Dreams' soccer program to sharpen his skills after trying out the sport previously. His favorite part of the organization is being around his teammates and the support they all provide each other.
"[What] I like about [soccer is] being with each other, playing with each other, having a hard time but we still keep going and going, trying our best, having courage for ourselves. When we get fouled, we help our teammates or other opponents, and we just do it the best we can," Mani said. "You should like soccer because soccer is not about...just winning or losing. It's about having fun."
Cam'ron Connell, 10, joined as a first-time soccer player. He had played football, basketball and did track; now he is learning how to play on a pitch.
"I think it's pretty fun because this is my first time doing it and I'm learning a lot of things that I didn't learn yet," Cam'ron said. "Dribbling and shooting with both of my feet."
Throughout the practices, kids wander over and join in, welcomed by all the other kids who are having fun and learning soccer skills.
For a sport that has long been seen as limited in inner cities, Goal Dreams hopes to break down barriers for the next generation. A generation in Cleveland that might just have the next soccer star, but is full of passionate kids with big goals either way.
Goals that nine-year-old Kartier Prater wants everyone to share.
"You need to know you should never give up and follow your dreams," Kartier said.
Goal Dreams is showcasing its young talent on July 18 with a youth soccer community day tournament at Lonnie Burten Recreation Center. The event is free and runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more about Goal Dreams or to sign up for the tournament, CLICK HERE.
