12 GROUNDCOVER NEWS LIVING ARCHIVES SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 From homelessness in Ann Arbor to the Homeless World Cup in Brazil GREG HOFFMAN Groundcover board member Playing on the U.S. national team for the Homeless World Cup left David Altherr with some special memories and a mission. His journey began in Washtenaw County through the Project Outreach Team (PORT) and its street soccer program (SSPORT). He first heard about the local SSPORT soccer team nearly three years ago at the PORT offices in Ann Arbor. Before his first practice, David, now in his fifties, had never played organized soccer. He gave it a try after continued encouragement from the sport coaches. Since then, David says he hasn't missed more than three or four practices. As a younger man, David was an avid baseball player, and he says that soccer really helped to fill the void created when he stopped playing baseball. Not only has it provided a means of promoting physical health through the exercise of playing, but has also been a driving force and helping David stay sober and turn his life around. The weekly practices give David something to look forward to each week and encourages others to share in the mental and physical benefits soccer provides. “There's no pressure. It's lots of fun. Just come out and join us,” David tells them. To be eligible to travel to tournaments with the SSPORT team, players must first commit to sobriety for at least thirty days. David's first travel opportunity with the sport team came in the summer of 2010, when he and the team traveled to Washington, D.C. to compete for the USA Homeless Cup. David says that this first experience felt like being a superstar. Participants in the tournament were outfitted with special tournament clothing equipment and new shoes. Although the SSPORT team did not win the 2010 Street Soccer USA Cup, the team was awarded the tournament's Fair Play Award for demonstrating sportsmanship and positive attitudes on and off the field. While in D.C., David was interviewed by representatives from street soccer USA about what soccer meant to him but he had little idea at the time that he had been identified as a candidate for the U.S. Men's National Team. As the USA Cup came to a close, there was a parade and award ceremony, which culminated with the selection of the U.S. National Team, and David was chosen to represent the United States in the 2010 Homeless World Cup in Brazil. The Homeless World Cup trip began with the three-day stop in New York. While there, David began practicing with the other players who had been selected for the U.S. team. The highlight in New York was a four-on-four scrimmage with players from the Major League Soccer New York Red Bulls, the professional soccer team in New York. After New York, the team boarded a plane and headed for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 55 teams participated in the 2010 Homeless World Cup; 43 men's teams and 12 women's teams. In all, more than 40 countries are represented. The games were held on the edge of the white sand of the Copacabana Beach September 19-26. The U.S. Men's team performed admirably, finishing in 20th place, and the U.S. Women's team earned 11th place finish. David recollects two experiences that really stick out from the trip, aside from the action on the field. The first was the breathtaking views from the 100-foot-tall Christ the Redeemer statue that looks over the city of Rio. “You're up there in the foggy mists from the mountains, and you can see all the way down to the white sandy beaches,” David recalled. The other experience that had a lasting impression on David was the opportunity to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with other players, including members of the Swedish and Finnish National teams. The meeting was facilitated by translators and when it closed, the participants each said their closing prayers in their native languages. “It was really a joy to be able to experience something like that,” David said. According to David, when someone Netflix original movie "The Beautiful Game" is based on the true story of the Homless World Cup, which was founded by INSP members and is deeply connected with the global street paper movement. is selected to go to the Homeless World Cup they become an ambassador not only of the U.S. team, but also of the mission and goals of the Homeless Soccer efforts worldwide. He lives up to this charge through his daily efforts to share the benefits of soccer with everyone he meets. “It doesn't matter who wins, because we all win because we were on the same team. The whole idea is to fight homelessness,” David concluded. Originally published in the June 2012 edition of Groundcover News. At the time, Greg Hoffman was U-M Masters of Social Work intern. He is now the longest-serving board member.
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