High-quality research shows that well-run after-school programs measurably boost academic and developmental outcomes for teens. A landmark meta-analysis by Durlak, Weissberg, & Pachan found that after-school programs designed with evidence-based practices produced significant gains in students’ grades, standardized achievement, positive social behaviors, and school attachment, while reducing problem behaviors compared with controls. Complementing this, Lauer et al.’s meta-analysis focused on out-of-school-time programs serving at-risk youth and reported statistically significant improvements in both reading and mathematics achievement—evidence that structured, skill-building clubs are a productive use of the after-school window. Reviews from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention likewise synthesize dozens of studies showing small-to-moderate positive effects across academics and social outcomes when programs follow quality standards. PubMed+2SAGE Journals+2

Within that landscape, team sports—and soccer in particular—offer additional, teen-specific benefits tied to belonging, mental health, and cognitive skills. A systematic review finds that adolescent participation in sport is associated with better psychological and social outcomes, and multiple studies report that team sports are linked to fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression than individual sports. Participation is also associated with higher academic achievement and self-esteem. Importantly for soccer, randomized and controlled trials with youth players show improvements in executive functions (e.g., working memory, processing speed) following soccer-specific cognitive training; more recent experimental work indicates that sustained participation in strategic sports reduces stress in adolescents, with acute exercise sessions improving stress and processing speed across groups. Together, this points to school-based soccer clubs as a lever for wellness, engagement, and readiness to learn. Nature+3PMC+3University of Chicago Journals+3

Local data underscore the need and fit for Cada Casa’s Inter-7 program in Beaverton. Beaverton High School serves 1,461 students; 47% are Hispanic/Latino, 41% White, 14% are students with disabilities, 44% have ever been identified as English Learners, and 29% experience poverty. Despite an 88% “on-track to graduate” rate for 9th graders and an 84% four-year graduation rate (above the state average), regular attendance (59%) trails the Oregon average—an area where engaging, low-cost, on-campus clubs can help. Districtwide, BSD enrolls 37,826 students and is racially diverse (28.0% Hispanic/Latinx; 18.6% Asian; 3.5% Black/African American; 39.9% White), with a 2024 four-year graduation rate of 87.66%. Because rising youth-sports costs are a growing barrier for lower-income families, school-embedded, no- or low-cost soccer like Inter-7 directly addresses access while advancing attendance, connection, and achievement for Beaverton teens. apnews.com+3Cloudinary+3beaverton.k12.or.us+3

Despite its best intentions, space for soccer players is extremely limited. The Varsity / JV model provides a school-based competitive format, but is surprisingly inaccessible to all students. Spots are offered to the most-skilled players, who often are club-trained, which fall upon economic lines. Furthermore, the limited 10-week season ignores the reality that soccer is THE SPORT, not one of many, for non-white students. While multicultural soccer does provide a unique playing experience, there are still many players, particularly of a lower-skill level who simply do not have an opportunity to play the game they love. This program is for them.