Tales From The Inbox - June 26, 2008

It seems as though my inbox is becoming increasingly fat with announcements, press releases, and other sports content lately. This has inspired me to start this new regular segment – Tales From The Inbox. I hope to turn it into a weekly post that has a specific day in the very near future. For now, I’ll do it when I’ve got a good amount of content which should be at least every other week. So without further fanfare, here is the inaugural edition of Tales From The Inbox:

Homeless World Cup News: It was recently announced that the 2009 Homeless World Cup will be held in Milan.

Kicking It, the documentary narrated by Colin Farrell that features the story of HWC athletes in 2006, opens on June 27th in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. In conjunction with this release, the Homeless USA Cup takes place in D.C. from June 27-29. The three-day event names a champion and picks the all-star squad that will represent the U.S. later this year at the HWC in Australia. This U.S. qualifier will be held at the Washington Kastles Stadium at 11th and H streets in Downtown D.C. From the press release:

Over the course of the July 27-29 weekend, 100 homeless individuals will compete on city-based teams for the US Cup. Teams will come from Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Richmond, Phoenix, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Washington D.C.

Each of the participants has faced the reality of being homeless over the course of the last year. Street soccer can be used to instill a sense of pride and discipline through being part of a team and to help give players the confidence they need overcome problems in their lives. Organizers point out that over 70 percent of participants from previous tournaments have improved their lives by quitting drugs, moving into jobs, getting an education and even reuniting with their families.

The exciting 4 on 4 street soccer competitions has also changed public perception of the homeless. Worldwide there are one billion, in the USA there are 3.5 million homeless people.

The homeless players and their coaches will be guests of Major League Soccer’s DC United team on Sunday June 29, for the game against the LA Galaxy, and will be introduced to fans at halftime. The trailer for the film Kicking It will be screened for the RFK Stadium crowd at the same time.

13th Green News: Clothing retailer 13th Green is becoming involved with TWO WHEEL dRIVER in a philanthropic effort targeted against cancer. From the press release:

TWO WHEEL dRIVER, a project fusing motorcycles, golf, and music to raise money for local cancer causes, announced today that 13thGreen.com will be joining the project as its second Stage 1 sponsor.

“We are thrilled to have 13thGreen.com on board with TWO WHEEL dRIVER as a sponsor for the first leg of our journey which will take us to Utah and Indianapolis as guests of KTM Motorcycles,” says the project’s founder, Mark Augustyn. “Not only does 13thGreen.com fit in perfectly with our action-oriented concept, but the company’s founder, Chris Roberts, is unfortunately also familiar and committed to the cause having lost his own mom to cancer in December 2006.”

Check out the founder’s story, purpose, and reason for his passion for this cause on the TWO WHEEL dRIVER website.

In other golf news: You know how airlines are now charging for almost everything, including one measly bag? I dread traveling anywhere with my golf clubs as I know they’ll surely find a way to stick it to me. One course in Las Vegas is trying to make sure that you don’t miss out on a round when you stop in Sin City. Aliante Golf Club is providing a free premium rental of Cleveland or Callaway clubs when you show your airline ticket after you book a tee time and pay your green fee. I called them and found out that they have both men’s and women’s right and left-handed. With clubs for every golfer, it sounds like a fair deal. I found reviews of the course here and here.

Longboard Surfing: This weekend at Doheny State Park the Doheny State Longboard Association (DSLA) will host the 12th Annual Menehune Contest on Saturday, June 28, 2008 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, Calif. This contest begins promptly at 7:00 AM PDT and is open to boys and girls of all ages with divisions for 8 and under on up to 17 years of age. I have it on good authority that this is an awesome event to attend. In addition, the event has auctions, raffles, and music. The weather will be perfect to hang out all day and enjoy the festivities. Proceeds go to the DSLA charity outreach programs. The Doheny Longboard Surfing Association is an organization of individuals dedicated to the enjoyment of board surfing in a clean and natural environment. Based on that philosophy, the DLSA will act as a support group to other organizations with similar views and objectives.

Keep those emails coming everyone!