GOAL is to graduate 10,000 kids by World Cup 2026
BEST PRACTICE: ‘Get on the bus’ – Empowering Communities through Sport
Institute for Youth Sports Leaders (IYSL)
February 28, 2024
PLAYERS TRANSPORTED BY ‘GET ON THE BUS’ TO FIELDS FOR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & GAMES
Featured Youth Sports Clubs
Ellicott City Soccer Club (MD), Ballistic United Soccer Club (CA), Sky Soccer Club (KY), United PDX Soccer Club (OR), Hillsborough Rush (OR).
Featured Leader
Tim Ryerson , Creator of GET ON THE BUS(GOTB) & Associate Executive Director, Mclean Youth Soccer (VA).
FULLY EQUIPPED, GET ON THE BUS PARTICIPANTS FROM TITLE I SCHOOLS
In 2018, Tim Ryerson launched the âGet On the Busâ, (GOTB), aimed at supporting 4th and 5th grade students in underserved communities. This innovative program offers a comprehensive package including soccer coaching, life skills sessions, homework help, healthy snacks, and transportation to and from the soccer field. With a vision to reach 10,000 youth participants by the FIFA World Cup in 2026, GOTB has garnered participation from prominent clubs across the USA.
Why âGet on the Busâ is a Best Practice Example
Institute for Youth Sports Leaders (IYSL) recognizes Ellicott City, Ballistic United, Sky Soccer Club, United PDX, and Hillsborough Rush for best practice. GOTB supports the desire of club executives to give back to society while benefiting their organizations. By aligning with the philanthropic goals outlined in club missions, GOTB attracts goodwill, sponsorship interest, and revenue from player registrations. Moreover, it provides access to a diverse player pool, fosters community engagement, and offers valuable life lessons in volunteering.
Ensuring Accessibility and Inclusivity
GOTB prioritizes accessibility and inclusivity by targeting participants from Title I schools and allocating $500 per participant for uniforms and equipment. Recognizing transportation as a significant barrier for underserved communities, the program collaborates with schools to arrange bus transportation for students to training and game locations. Additionally, employing teachers and coaches to supervise the program further enhances inclusivity.
Program Funding
Initially self-funded by Ellicott City Soccer Club members, GOTB has received substantial support from local businesses, sponsors, and grants such as the United States Soccer Federationâs âInnovate to Growâ grant. Tim Ryersonâs proactive approach has help to secure grant funding from USSF for eight state associations (Nevada, Nevada, California North, California South, Connecticut, Oregon, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Washington) while ongoing efforts aim to tap into school funding opportunities available to Title 1 institutions. Additional funding sources include individual donations, club fundraising, program sponsors and local, regional and national corporate giving.
Measuring Impact
While the positive impact of GOTB on participants is evident, the program is actively developing comprehensive metrics to measure its influence on academic performance, physical health, and socio-emotional development. Collaborating with schools, GOTB aims to track indicators such as attendance, grades, and behavior, providing valuable insights into the programâs effectiveness. Early success stories of high school graduates volunteering as coaches highlight the lasting impact of the initiative.
Program Summary
Despite initial challenges in gaining recognition and support, Tim Ryersonâs perseverance has propelled GOTB into a national initiative with widespread interest and participation. With a vision to expand across all states in the USA and beyond, GOTB welcomes collaboration from individuals and organizations committed to making a difference in the lives of young athletes from underserved communities. Through soccer, GOTB not only nurtures athletic talent but also empowers communities, embodying the spirit of inclusivity and social responsibility in youth sports.
Best Practice Alignment
The adoption of GOTB by the previously mentioned clubs aligns with success factor #18 (out of 60) â The organization operates in partnership with local communities and schools.
Driving equality in youth soccer: âGet on the Busâ clears transportation and financial hurdlesGet On The Bus: Creating a Better Future in Your Community
A Get On The Bus team supported by Pleasanton, California, club Ballistic United. The program operates in Title I schools in California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington state. Credit: Cal North Youth Soccer
Generations of officials have appointed armies of study groups to explore an important question: how to introduce more youngsters from underserved areas to soccer.
Theyâve looked at barriers like pay-to-play, the cost of equipment and lack of playing fields. But they often ignore a more fundamental obstacle: how to get players to those teams and fields in the first place.
âIf a kid doesnât have transportation to a program, it doesnât matter if they can afford it or not,â says Tim Ryerson.
Wearing one hat, he serves as associate executive director of McLean (Virginia) Youth Soccer. Wearing another, he is the creator of Get on the Bus. Since 2017, has broken down transportation and financial barriers, so boys and girls in suburban Washington can play recreational soccer. The free after-school program also teaches valuable life skills, and good study habits.
Itâs been hugely successful. Now, thanks to a U.S. Soccer âInnovate to Growâ grant, even more youngsters will âget on the bus,â and enjoy the ride.
The grant is one of 27 awarded by the national governing body, out of $3 million earmarked for programs that will increase education resources for youth coaches and referees, remove financial barriers of entry for participants in marginalized communities, increase participation for girls and women, and/or provide resources for an array of disabled service organizations.
The program begins when the school day ends. Children head to their gym, cafeteria or multipurpose room. They enjoy a healthy snack. Then, working with teachers, paraprofessionals, coaches and volunteers, they spend an hour and a quarter getting help with homework, school projects or learning English. They also learn about the importance of hydration, stretching and sunscreen.
Then they head to their school field. Or they get on a bus, to a nearby training facility donated by a nearby club.
They change into soccer gear. Every youngster receives a jersey, shorts, socks, soccer shoes, shinguards, ball and duffel bag â just like players at elite clubs.
At the field, club coaches, teachers or paras teach soccer skills. (Educators have already received training in recreational or club soccer curricula.) At the end, parents or caregivers pick them up at the facility, not far from their homes.
Of course, every kid loves to play. On Saturdays they participate in local recreational leagues. âThey can all get to their school. They canât always get to league fields,â Ryerson says. So a bus takes them to and from games.
Tim Ryerson
(Supplemental funding, from other grants, corporate sponsors and donations, may be needed as well, Ryerson says.)
The goal is to reach 10,000 boys and girls by 2026, the year the World Cup comes to North America. The program has already served 2,500 youths who have never played organized soccer â or been registered with U.S. Soccer â before. There will be 1,000 this spring, and another 1,000 next fall.
Get on the Bus currently operates in Title I (economically disadvantaged) schools in California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington state. A Mexico City affiliate begins this year.
Ryerson has seen success firsthand. Twin boys in the first pilot program, in Ellicott City, Maryland, were selected to play club soccer (with financial assistance from the team). They also now play for their high school â and return each season as volunteer coaches with Get on the Bus.
Every school that launched the initiative has invited it back, Ryerson says proudly.
Thatâs a lot of boys and girls. And buses.
Get On The Bus: Creating a Better Future in Your Community
December 2, 2022 | By Cal North Soccer | IDA
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (Nov. 30, 2022) – Meet Get On The Bus, Cal Northâs Partner organization bringing the wonderful game of soccer to students at title one schools in hopes of creating a more equitable community here in Northern California and across the country. This giving season coincides with soccerâs biggest event, the World Cup. What better way to celebrate than by creating access to the future leaders of the game and our communities? We ponder how many players representing their respective countries this year started kicking the ball around with neighborhood friends and had the same drive as the children we aim to provide opportunities.
As we celebrate the successes of global unity and good sportsmanship this season, we are reminded why we partnered with the Get on the Bus program. Every child deserves their own world cup moment and to reap the benefits of this great game beyond the pitch. You may have heard that the World Cup is coming to the United States in 2026, and GOTB has a goal to reach 10,000 new participants by World Cup 2026! We hope Cal North can continue to expand the program for years to come.
Just this year, GOTB has been able to serve 168 children across the nation.
Get On the Bus makes a difference and can change the course of a childâs life because of the commitment from schools, coaches, clubs, teammates, and donors like you. Consider a gift now so that it can be used to fund this opportunity for more children in 2023.
A key element of the GOTB program is the creation of equity. The high costs of soccer in the US created great inequities while upon further examination, it became apparent many families would require help to bring their child to an extracurricular, even if free. As such, the program seeks to address two layers of community inequities.
The first layer of challenges the program addresses involves:
- access to mentorship
- healthy food
- after-school care
- support and academic accountability
The second layer of challenges the program addresses:
- access to consistent familial structures
- health opportunity inequities
- equitable community support for dual or single-working parents
- long-term health habit development and positive health outcomes.
Get on the Bus is a stand-alone 501c3 headquartered in the state of Maryland and operating in chapters across the country. We are changing lives one participant at a time. With such a lofty goal of 10,000 participants by World Cup 2026 we are aggressively seeking funding opportunities. With your help we can reach our goal!
Please donate today.
$500 covers all costs for a player for a full season
$750 supports all snack costs for a GOTB team for a full season
$2500 supports all busing costs for a GOTB team for a full season
$5000 covers all costs for a GOTB team for a full season
$10,000 supports an entire school!
Get on the Bus Helping More and More Kids Experience the Joys of Soccer
by Dennis Miller / Pleasanton Weekly Uploaded: Thu, Dec 1, 2022, 5:11 pm
Article from Pleasanton Weekly
Tim Ryerson has put together a nice run working with and building youth soccer in the United States.
The Pleasanton resident and general manager of the Ballistic United Soccer Club also spent time in Maryland with the Ellicott City Soccer Club after graduating from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Tim Ryerson is the General Manager of Ballistic United and the founder of Get On The Bus. (Courtesy of Ballistic United)
He was helping grow the game of soccer, providing incredible opportunities for the youth of today, and combining not just soccer skills but life lessons as well.
But there was something missing.
âI was looking at areas of Maryland where I couldnât reach kids,â Ryerson explained. âEither they couldnât afford it, or they couldnât get (to practice).â
From this came the idea for âGet on the Bus,â whose premise is straightforward.
Kids at targeted schools apply and are selected based on need and merit to receive, completely free to them:
* Homework help/study hall with certified teachers and paraeducators.
* A healthy snack and themed life lessons.
* Transportation by bus to and from the soccer field to participate in a recreational soccer program.
* Top-notch coaching by licensed youth coaches following U.S. Soccer age appropriate guidelines.
* All soccer apparel â jerseys, shorts, socks, shin guards, cleats, and a soccer ball!
Once again, all this is free for the kids.
The entire movement got a boost four years ago when the United States did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup. At that point U.S. Soccer was looking for a way to innovate to grow the game â how to find kids the game of soccer was not reaching.
U.S. Soccer created grants for youth organizations to get more kids into the sport.
Out of it came the growth of GOTB.
Ryersonâs vision came to life initially on the East Coast.
This was on target with what Ryerson was doing with GOTB and Ellicott City became the inaugural GOTB chapter.
âWe piloted this in Maryland,â Ryerson said. âAnd it is still funded by Ellicott City members, sponsors, and partners.â
The Girls from the Pleasanton Rage/Get On The Bus team prepare for a game in the League America Festival. (Courtesy Cal North Youth Soccer)
With a solid pilot program successfully underway, it was next about getting grants from U.S. Soccer to launch the next one and spread the path for kids across the country to deserving youth.
What started as an idea from one club was about to blossom into an ever-growing movement to help children in need.
âNevada was the first, then Northern California,â Ryerson said. âWe now have nine across the country with six more planned.â
The main qualifier from U.S. Soccer was that the program had to be used at only Tier One schools. A Tier One school helps disadvantaged students meet state academic content and performance standards.
There happened to be one such school located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Ryerson had played soccer for UNLV and his brother Rich was the head coach of the UNLV team at that time.
From there, with Ryerson involved in Ballistic, it was natural to find a Pleasanton school to become involved with GOTB. The lone Tier One school in Pleasanton is Valley View Elementary School.
The boys and girls from the Valley View Get On The Bus program get ready to march in the Opening Day Soccer Parade on Main Street in Pleasanton. (Courtesy Cal North Youth Soccer)
âThis was supposed to go live with Valley View in the fall of 2020,â Ryerson said. âThen COVID hit, and it got canceled.â
Ryerson, through his partnerships with California Youth Soccer Association-North, Ballistic United and the Pleasanton Rage, kept the plans together and it finally launched this August.
The school, the families, and the students at Valley View embraced the program immediately.
âOh my God â it has been a dream come true,â said Rosa Isela Torre, a Pleasanton Unified School District parent liaison that is assigned to Valley View. âWe have been asking for something like this; the parents have been asking for their kids.â
Spend one Wednesday afternoon at Valley View watching the program, and itâs easy to see the impact. The smile the kids have during all parts of the program shows the need for something like GOTB.
âThe kids know their routine every Wednesday,â said Torre. âThey get the discipline and self-esteem to be part of the program.â
In this inaugural season for Valley View, the groups were comprised of fourth and fifth graders that had no formal soccer experience.
The students are selected by the school to participate.
There are a boysâ team and a girlsâ team, with coaches coming from both Ballistic and the Rage. They come to the multipurpose room after school where they spend time getting help on their homework, followed by life lessons and skills, and of course nutritious snacks.
Homework and life lessons come from Torre and other volunteers. Following their time inside, the two teams head to the field for soccer practice, meeting up with the certified coaches.
The joy and excitement of the kids is evident â there wasnât one student that didnât have a smile on their face. It was about having fun while getting the chance to play organized soccer.
On Saturdays they play in recreational leagues of the respective clubs, and even competed in a tournament in October at the Ken Mercer Sports Park in Pleasanton.
Because everything took place at Valley View, there was no need for a bus service, but Ryerson found an event for the kids to âget on the busâ.
âWe did get a bus and take 52 people to an Oakland Roots game,â Ryerson said, of the United Soccer League (USL) Championship Division team. âIt was like a big field trip.â
Initially it was to be a fall-only program at Valley View, but it went over so well, the program was extended.
âAll of the kids will play in the Winter Rec league, and we will cover all of it as well,â Ryerson said.
Ryersonâs group has grown GOTB nationwide with grants for the program being secured from U.S. Soccer for schools in Nevada, California, Connecticut, Tennessee and Oregon, with Ryerson looking to secure more and continue to build.
There are nine chapters right now, with six more, including Sacramento, Los Angeles and more in the Central Valley on the horizon.
âWe have served 1,200 kids so far,â said Ryerson. âIt has blown up since we came out of COVID. We have a goal of 10,000 by the 2026 World Cup, which is taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.â
As far as Pleasanton is concerned, Ryerson, BUSC and Rage want to expand to other schools in town, but with Valley View as the lone Tier One school, there will be no grants from U.S. Soccer.
Boys from the Valley View Get On The Bus program competed for Ballistic United in the 2022 USYS League America Festival in Pleasanton. (Courtesy of Cal North Youth Soccer)
Still, there remains a need.
âEveryone thinks Pleasanton is a town where people can afford anything,â Ryerson said. âBut there are a lot of students and schools that could use the help.â
Which is why Ryerson and the GOTB program along with local partners like Ballistic and Pleasanton Rage are set on raising funds so more disadvantaged students in Pleasanton can be helped and given more of a chance to succeed.
Itâs that helpful of a program.
There are a couple of other elementary schools targeted and perhaps one middle school. That leaves the two local youth soccer clubs to raise the funds for the much needed programs.
âThe plan would be to get the kids that need this from other schools involved,â Ryerson said. âWe would be able to pick them up from their schools and bus them to Valley View and back.â
Ballistic United board president Scott McMillin has been a proponent for getting new kids exposed to the program.
âWe are working on raising the funds so other schools can participate,â McMillin said. âWe want everyone to be able to play if they want to play, regardless of (skill) level or age.â
But itâs more than just donations the group needs.
âThere are other ways to get involved, like even dropping off the snacks after school,â Ryerson said. âThere is always something you can do to help.â
Those interested in donating or getting involved, check out the website at gotbsoccer.org.
The Ballistic United/Get On The Bus team poses for a team photo before a game in the League America Festival. (Courtesy of Cal North Youth Soccer)
Rich Ryerson Joins Soccer Based Youth Development Program âGet On The Busâ As National Business Development Director
âCovid halted the Get on the Bus Program, but the bus is rolling again, and Rich is jumping on with both feet! I couldnât be more excited to have Rich along for the ride!â-Tim Ryerson Creator Get on the Bus
Ellicott City, MD / January 12th, 2022 / Stand-alone 501c3, Get on the Bus announced today that former University of Nevada Head Coach of Menâs Soccer and savior of that program Rich Ryerson is joining the nationally acclaimed âGet On The Busâ (GOTBsoccer.org) US youth soccer program that is aimed to remove the economic and transportation barriers that prevent some children from low-income families from participating in youth soccer.
About Rich Ryerson: Rich Ryerson will use his Masterâs in Public Administration and MPS Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership to drive the Business Development arm, in order to enhance the impact and financial stability while intentionally helping to grow the program. Rich spent 10 years as UNLV Menâs coach, spearheading the effort to save the program from elimination due to state budget cuts in 2010. Rich secured and raised over $2.5 million dollars, earmarked specifically for the UNLV soccer program. Rich was instrumental in the creation of the 501c3 UNLV Rebel Soccer Foundation which will ensure the sustainability of both the Menâs and Womenâs programs. Rich had a tremendous playing career and served as the Athletic Director at the Palm Valley School prior to UNLV. Rich has a passion for education and soccer and will use his experience to help reach the goal of serving 10,000 participants by World Cup 2026.
About Get on the Bus: A day in the FREE GOTB program runs as follows: at the end of the school day, GOTB players are met at their school by GOTB staff and given a healthy snack. Tutoring and homework help is available to all participants. Afterward, they are transported by bus to fields to participate in a recreational soccer program. The kids practice once a week and play in the recreational games on Saturdays. Funded by charitable donations, the program provides full uniform kits, including jerseys, shorts, socks, cleats, and a soccer ball, at no cost to players. All recreational program participation fees are waived for GOTB participants, resulting in a completely free program for the children.
âThe GOTB players are receiving important experience and life lessons on and off the field through this program and being part of a team instills confidence and self-value in each player,â GOTB Executive Director Amanda Buckler wrote. âThe parents and families of GOTB participants also benefit greatly from the program, coming to see their children play in real soccer games, in uniform, each Saturday, and being part of the local sports community that so many take for granted because the cost and transportation barriers so often are not noticed. Breaking down these barriers enables more of our community to be a part of the soccer experience.â For more information, email rich@gotbsoccer.org or visit: https://www.gotbsoccer.org
Partners & Sponsors
Supporters of the GOTB Program
