Paul Jeffries believes that sport has the power to bring people, communities and countries together.
As the leader of New York City Football Club’s City in the Community Foundation, he works to provide free soccer coaching, equipment and access to safe playing fields to kids across New York City.
In 2010, Jeffries found a like-minded partner in UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba – a former soccer player and fan. With the Ambassador’s support and a gift to finance its construction, the UAE Embassy helped open a soccer field on the rooftop of East Harlem’s PS 72 Lexington Academy.
This partnership continues to flourish today. Jeffries and the UAE Embassy teamed up again on a field at PS 24 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and most recently at Crotona Park in the Bronx. This is in addition to 11 other soccer fields that have been built in underserved communities across the US, giving thousands of kids access to participate in the sport.
Hear from Jeffries about this exciting and impactful UAE-US collaboration.
