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Photograph by Ximena Natera/CatchLight/KQED |
Dear CalMatters reader,
Soccer Without Borders harnesses the power of sport to support immigrant and newcomer youth across the Bay Area. Beyond soccer training, the organization provides mentorship, academic support and a welcoming community where young people can connect, grow and build a sense of belonging.
Through Meet Me on the Pitch, a collaboration with the University of California San Francisco, coaches and mentors work to provide holistic mental health support for students both on and off the field.
Photographer Ximena Natera worked with KQED and the CatchLight Mental Health Visual Desk to document the ways soccer can foster connection, confidence and community. As excitement continues to build around the World Cup, these images are reminders that soccer is more than a game – it is a shared language and community.
Sincerely,
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Jenny Stratton
Executive Editor, CatchLight
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Jenny Stratton
Executive Editor, Catchlight
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Photograph by Ximena Natera/CatchLight/KQED |
Soccer Without Borders coaches Alexis Catt and Ney Lovato photographed at the Soccer Without Borders office on May 29, 2026.
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📷 We want to see your best California photos.
Are you a photojournalist or photo-enthusiast? Submit your work to California in Pictures! Selected submissions for inclusion in the newsletter will be paid a licensing fee from CatchLight.
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Photograph by Ximena Natera/CatchLight/KQED |
Loani holds a soccer ball to show off her game-day nails on May 29, 2026.
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Photograph by Ximena Natera/CatchLight/KQED |
Oakland Soccer Without Borders player Tatiana battles a Hayward player during the last game of the season on May 29, 2026.
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Photograph by Ximena Natera/CatchLight/KQED |
Loani (left) and Abyade, Soccer Without Borders players from the Purple Team, hang out with teammates and friends after a Saturday game at Oakland High. To increase accessibility, the program concentrates most games in a single day to alleviate the burden of traveling across the Bay Area on families who often have limited time and resources.
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Photograph by Ximena Natera/CatchLight/KQED |
The Meet Me at the Pitch program, whose approach was informed by a youth advisory team, seeks to bring mental health support out of a clinical setting and onto the field, where kids learn to build their own communities. The Youth Advisory Team helped pick activities, define relevant topics and find the right language for discussing mental health.
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Photograph by Ximena Natera/CatchLight/KQED |
Soccer Without Borders Coach Natalie Ramos and Malak, a Youth Advisory Team member and a participant in the Meet Me at the Pitch pilot program, ride past a cloud on a ride at Six Flags during a program field trip on May 22, 2026.
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Photograph by Ximena Natera/CatchLight/KQED |
The Soccer Without Borders alumni team celebrates after their championship title win on May 29, 2026.
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Photograph by Ximena Natera/CatchLight/KQED |
Scenes from the last game of the season on May 29, 2026 for an East Oakland high school’s Soccer Without Borders team.
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