SOUL

er the belief that sports-based programs must assume a greater role in youth development. Programs should better leverage the influence of coaches and mentors to support the hard work of parents and traditional educators in developing productive young adults. The high school dropout rate in our Nation’s capital is approximately 40% and this number disproportionately weighted along socioeconomic lines. It is without question that mentoring has significant positive effects on the alleviation of high school delinquency and dropout rates. SOUL’s mission is to not only to decrease the amount of dropouts amongst at-risk youth, but to increase the rate of subsequent enrollment into higher education amongst these youth, arming them with the tools and life skills needed to be leaders for their communities