Soccer tournaments can be more than just a fun way to hang out with friends and potentially win some money: They can change someone’s life. That’s the spirit of the global nonprofit Right to Play, which turns every match into support for children’s education in underserved communities around the world. 

Juniors Atharva Soni, Ritvik Satapathy and Abhay Mascarenhas, along with sophomore Pramuk Mahesh and senior Jason Li, founded a chapter of Right to Play this October.

“We all love soccer as a whole,” Soni said. “We’ve played it basically our entire lives, and we think that almost everyone, if they want to play soccer, should be able to. So a motivation for us is to increase inclusivity and accessibility of the sport that we love to other places around the world.” 

The group hosts biweekly one-on-one soccer tournaments, typically held at Meadowood Park. Players pay a $5 entry fee and the winner takes home $50. The rest of the proceeds are donated to Right to Play to support the well being and education of children both locally and globally. So far, the club has held two tournaments with about 50 participants and aims to fundraise $2,000.

“You get to play soccer. It’s a lot of fun. It doesn’t matter your skill level. There are a lot of people, and you make new friends,” Soni said.

The chapter is in the process of partnering with the boys soccer team to expand its reach, through designing flyers and tapping into team networks. Those interested in participating in the next Right to Play tournament can visit @righttoplaynorthwood on Instagram for more information and the sign-up form. All high schoolers are welcome, regardless of skill level.

“We just want to create an environment that’s diverse and allow anyone who plays soccer to have a place where they feel belonged and included in the community,” Mascarenhas said. “And we want it to be a local sensation.”