New Balance Foundation Invests in SCORES Network's Poet-Athlete Movement Ahead of 2026 World Cup
BOSTON, Mass., October 9, 2025 - New Balance Foundation (NBF) announced today that it has granted a total of $300,000 in support of the expansion of the SCORES Network (SCORES), which empowers youth through soccer and poetry, and was the first-ever grant recipient of the 1994 World Cup Legacy Fund. This gift is aligned with the Foundation's mission to invest in vibrant communities and bright futures through sport.
The Boston-based brand's charitable foundation, New Balance Foundation, granted $1 million in funding for the construction of a new recreation and education campus for the local SCORES affiliate, Boston SCORES. The multi-field soccer and sports complex opened its doors in East Boston in July 2024. The Foundation has also provided $175,000 in support over the last three years for Boston SCORES youth programming.
The New Balance Foundation granted an additional $300,000 to SCORES to support the network in building capacity for their award-winning after-school soccer, poetry, and service-learning programs. This brings NBF's total investment to $1,475,000 as part of their growing commitment to sports-based positive youth development across North America.
"Ahead of the 2026 World Cup and in line with our mission to invest in vibrant communities and bright futures through sport, we're proud to support the expansion of SCORES, one of the most successful grassroots legacy programs of the 1994 World Cup, and increase the opportunities for students to become poet-athletes and leaders within their teams, classrooms, and neighborhoods," said Molly Santry, Director of the New Balance Foundation.
Additionally, New Balance Athletics will serve as the exclusive apparel sponsor for SCORES through September 2027. The sports apparel and lifestyle brand signed a multi-year commitment to provide high-performance soccer jerseys to every poet-athlete in the SCORES program, with a gift-in-kind value of up to $500,000 per year.
This announcement follows the news that Boston SCORES will host Festival 26, in partnership with Lyon-based Sport dans la Ville. Held next year in Boston from July 5-13, Festival 26 brings together 400 young people from 24 nations for sporting and cultural exchanges in conjunction with the 2026 World Cup.
SCORES serves 15,000 young people in 13 cities across North America through its soccer, poetry, and service-learning programs. These programs are offered to young people after school, five days a week, free of charge. Founded in 1994, the nonprofit was the first-ever grant recipient of the 1994 World Cup legacy fund. Since then, it has empowered hundreds of thousands of young people to become "Poet-Athletes" by leading healthy lives, engaging deeply in school, and developing the confidence and character to make a difference in the world.
"Since our founding in the wake of the 1994 World Cup, SCORES has been committed to unlocking the power of soccer, poetry, and community to inspire youth across North America. With the generous support of the New Balance Foundation, we can grow the Poet-Athlete movement and deepen our impact at a pivotal moment for the Beautiful Game," said Corwin Thomas, Board Chair, The SCORES Network. "As we look toward the 2026 World Cup, this partnership will help us reach more young people, amplify their voices, and continue building a legacy of joy, confidence, and opportunity on and off the field."
SCORES operates in 13 cities in the United States and Canada, including 2026 World Cup host cities Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto, and Vancouver.
For more information, please contact: Mairead MacRae, Senior Director of Communications, DC SCORES mmacrae@dcscores.org
About New Balance Foundation Since 1981, the New Balance Foundation has invested in proven pathways to help young people achieve their goals. Grantmaking focuses on community-led, outcomes-driven initiatives that promote access to sport, educational support, career readiness, and overall well-being. They have granted over $165 million to date to trail-blazing non-profits across the globe. This includes more than $17 million in donations to 95 non-profits in 2024 alone. www.newbalancefoundation.org
About New Balance: New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA, has the following purpose: Independent since 1906, we empower people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. New Balance employs 12,000 associates around the globe, and in 2024 reported worldwide sales of $7.8 billion. New Balance owns five athletic footwear factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance MADE U.S. footwear contains a domestic value of 70% or more and makes up a limited portion of New Balance's U.S. sales. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com; for the latest press information, visit http://newbalance.newsmarket.com.
About The SCORES Network The SCORES Network empowers youth to lead healthy lives, be engaged students, and have the confidence and character to make a difference in the world. SCORES' award-winning after-school soccer, poetry, and service program reaches 15,000 young people, known as "Poet-Athletes." Founded in Washington, D.C., in 1994, SCORES was the first-ever grantee of the 1994 World Cup Legacy Fund and has since expanded to serve Poet-Athletes in 13 cities across North America. Learn more at scoresnetwork.org