The Healing Power of Sports

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-09-11 16:29:00 UTC
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Anyone in the field of homelessness knows this familiar meme: The only solution for homelessness is  housing.

But what about high fives, downward dog, and endorphins?

Indeed, sports can be powerful and transformative for anyone, but this is especially true for people who have spent part of their lives living on the streets. Just because someone loses a home does not mean they lose the need for thrill, escape, serenity, confidence, or being a part of a team - all needs that can be fulfilled through sports.

Luckily, many organizations exist that make sports accessible to those in unstable living conditions. Two stories out of Washington, D.C. and Milan, Italy today highlight this unlikely but sensible match.

This past July, soccer teams from across the United States converged in Washington, D.C. for the Street Soccer USA tournament. No, these weren't high school or college students, they were formerly and currently homeless individuals. This week, Team USA is joining 47 other nations for the Street Soccer World Cup in Milan, Italy.

You can read more about Street Soccer USA here and follow the action live on the Street Soccer USA blog.

Miriam's Kitchen made the news several months ago when a certain first lady surprised guests for dinner service. But this organization offers much more than just a hot meal.

Since February, a yoga instructor has been helping guests relax, breathe deeply, and stretch their tired limbs. The classes are small, mostly men, and mostly Spanish-speaking, but the results have been significant, according to the Washington Post:

When they do yoga, after being hunched over in a defensive crouch for years, aching from carrying their worldly possessions in duffels slung over their shoulders, hurting from years of sleeping on pavement, it can be transformative.

Homelessness in the U.S. has reached crisis mode. It's easy to get caught up in the exorbitant increases, percentages, counts, numbers. But let's not forget the human needs of the people behind those numbers.

Top photo from amber in norfolk's public Flickr photo stream. Bottom photo from Street Soccer USA.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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