PepsiCo Announces Final 16 "Team of Champions" Organizations, Delivering On Its Commitment To Invest $1 Million To Support Soccer Access In Underserved Communities

Over the past three years of Pepsi Zero Sugar®, Lay's®, Gatorade™ and UEFA Champions League partnership, "Team of Champions" has impacted more than 43 Organizations and more than 30,000 youth players, coaches, and parents

PURCHASE, N.Y., June 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Entering the third and final year, PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) today announced it has added 16 new organizations to culminate "Team of Champions" — a national purpose platform that improves access to soccer in underserved communities, including Black and Hispanic youth, across the U.S. The $1 million commitment made over the past three years has made actionable investments on and off the field, including helping teams with apparel and equipment costs, field access, mentoring, coaching and education, and fan experiences.

By continuing to expand its reach into more communities in 2023, "Team of Champions" will continue to focus on recruiting more women and girls into its programming through collaboration and integration with the American Outlaws — a non-profit group dedicated to organizing support for the men's, women's, and youth U.S. National soccer teams — and LA Galaxy superstar Javier "Chicharito" Hernández. Hernández is also entering his third year as "Team Captain," helping to increase the visibility of this year's lineup and the impact the recognized organizations have in local communities across the country.

"Over the last three years, PepsiCo and I have worked together to establish the 'Team of Champions' program and, together we have brought 30,000 athletes and coaches onto the field," said Hernández. "In addition to the physical benefits of playing soccer, bringing the beautiful game into these communities teaches youth about teamwork, problem-solving, and accountability. Participation in sports overall enhances resilience and has been proven to boost self-esteem. I'm excited to continue to deliver on our mission to remove barriers to the game in underserved communities."

Since 2021, the "Team of Champions" has invested in elevating 43 organizations and impacted more than 30,000 youth players and their coaches. The "Team of Champions" is a major initiative that is part of PepsiCo's Racial Equality Journey's community pillar, which in 2020 saw the company announce commitments of more than $570 million over five years to increase representation within its workforce and improve Black and Hispanic businesses and communities in the United States to address issues of inequality and create more opportunity.

"The 'Team of Champions' is a direct illustration of PepsiCo's commitment to drive long-term change and address the systemic barriers that stand in the way of so many underserved communities," said Antonio Escalona, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Foods North America. "Our brands and this initiative combine sport and individual identity as a pathway toward a measurable impact on Hispanic-led and Black-led soccer clubs, programs and businesses in the United States."

Integral to "Team of Champions" this year is the "Access for Champions" program, an opportunity for participating players to connect with UEFA ambassadors. Through these inspirational events, participants will have the opportunity to engage with athletes and leaders from both PepsiCo and the soccer industry to discuss various topics ranging from creating a growth mindset to exploring soccer as an industry. In addition, for the second year in a row, PepsiCo is partnering with ACCESS U, a non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring players and their families throughout the college recruiting process, to help guide students seeking athletic scholarships.

"Since 2018 we have shown that investment in sport as a vehicle for change makes an undeniable impact," said Esperanza Teasdale, Vice President & General Manager, Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Beverages North America. "The opportunity to help level the playing field in more local communities by equalizing access for underserved youth and increasing the recruitment of young women as athletes was the predominant driving factor."

This year's "Team of Champions" lineup is composed of 16 local organizations in cities including Denver, St. Louis, Coachella, Los Angeles, Portland, Denton, Orlando, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Omaha, Houston, and Washington, D.C.

Building on the success of the 2021-22 programs, PepsiCo has:

• Benefited more than 10,000 players and coaches, including educational opportunities to refine and optimize their leadership skills.
• Added 16 more organizations to total 43 through the three-year campaign.
• Provided more than 30,000 players with new equipment and playing apparel through the three-year campaign.
• Provide mentoring opportunities for student-athletes with highly regarded soccer professionals, team executives, and business leaders.
• Facilitate access to local fields and provide resources for field maintenance, including the installation of lighting.

Over the upcoming weeks, PepsiCo will amplify the stories of the 16 organizations, distributed across digital platforms, to provide more visibility on the impact of every dollar donated.

The 2023 "Team of Champions" recognized organizations include:

• ALBION SC Merced (Merced, Calif.) – Located two hours outside of San Jose in rural California, Albion SC serves a range of Hispanic migrant communities that otherwise wouldn't have representation in the game.
• Casa FC (Denver) – Casa FC describes itself as the state's only Latino-founded and led organization offering authentic, inclusive and values-driven athletic experiences for youth.
• Dream Big Foundation (St. Louis) – Dream Big Foundation has built a nurturing atmosphere for underserved families so he can keep them from being blocked from the game for financial reasons.
• FCA Soccer Club (Coachella, Calif.) – The FCA Soccer Club serves a range of Hispanic migrant communities that otherwise wouldn't have an opportunity to develop their skill and pursue their dreams of using soccer to improve the lives of their families. FCA Soccer Club was established in the Coachella Valley in 2016 as a part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), which was established in 1954.
• Futbol Academy of SoCal Pda (Los Angeles) – Futbol Academy is laser-focused on bringing quality soccer to inner city Los Angeles. FASC values "play above pay" — meaning all players are accepted and the cost of participation is minimal. The club serves hundreds of youth in the Los Angeles area. In addition, FASC partners with AXIS to help create pathways for families of color to get opportunities to attend private schools.
• Kennedy Park Football Club (Portland, Maine) – Kennedy Park Football Club shows the power of inspiration and the momentum growing around building soccer communities all over the country. Founded by two soccer players local to Southern Maine, the idea of Kennedy Park was sparked by a trip to Los Angeles, where they were inspired by Venice Beach FC's commitment to creating community and giving a platform to underserved communities.
• Guys/Girls Operating as Leaders (Denton, Texas) – Using soccer as the vehicle, G.O.A.L. helps students with mentorship, tutoring, scholarships to local programs, and an all-in effort to help nurture future leaders in their community. G.O.A.L. not only helps youth struggling within their environment to cope but also puts them on a trajectory to become successful.
• FD Football Club (Orlando) – FD Football Club is a well-established organization serving hundreds of youth in the Orlando community. The youth programming focuses on developing players as individuals as opposed to just a larger group or team and aims to improve lives via college or professional soccer pathways, creating possibilities for a successful future that otherwise may not exist.
• Girls Leading Girls (California) – There are few organizations specifically focused on serving girls in soccer. Girls Leading Girls is uniquely focused on what their name suggests –– connecting girls with female mentors and coaches, showing a commitment to not only develop young athletes but building the next generation of leaders, mentors, and coaches across California. By creating future coaches and mentors, the organization can have exponential reach when the next generation reaches the age to inspire the ones who come next.
• The Sanneh Foundation (Minneapolis) – The Twin Cities area of Minnesota is a culturally-diverse major metropolitan area with a rich soccer history and for the past 20 years the Tony Sanneh Foundation has been growing deep roots. It has done a tremendous job to create avenues for underserved and immigrant communities to engage with the game and they also focus on holistic growth with initiatives like meal programs, college prep and more. Tony Sanneh, a legend of the U.S. National Team and a voice of huge credibility in the U.S. soccer space, plays a huge role in the organization as a whole.
• Heroes Soccer Club (Nashville) – Heroes Soccer Club is led by Desmond Armstrong, who in 1990 became the first U.S. born Black player to represent the country in a World Cup game. The club serves a diverse group of boys and girls through its club teams and East Nashville Soccer league, including ethnically diverse communities native to Nashville as well as immigrants from Africa, Asia, Mexico, and South and Central America.
• Elephants of Harlem Soccer Club (New York City) – Elephants of Harlem Soccer Club is a pillar in the Harlem community, providing holistic soccer programming both on and off the field for boys and girls across the city. The organization is made up of 75% Black and African American youth –– a community often underserved and underrepresented in soccer –– with 15% coming from Hispanic and Asian families.
• AYSO United SoCal Los Angeles (Los Angeles) – The south Los Angeles club is the only all African American youth soccer team in their age group in the entire state of California. Despite the odds, they have built a competitive program that finished first in their local division –– and are hoping additional investment can allow them to start traveling to tournaments outside their region to create opportunities for a college education that their players may not otherwise have access to. They are focused on creating a more diverse and representative space for Black girls in the soccer community, with their players giving back with mentorship and coaching.
• Football for the World (Omaha, Neb.) – Football for the World has a mission to create a safe place to play all over the world with projects in Uganda, Jamaica, and Canada, they set their sights on a relative soccer desert in the United States: Omaha, Neb. The organization is pushing to construct five mini-pitches in five years, creating intentional community spaces where people from various backgrounds can connect, play, and gain the benefits of health and wellness activities.
• Open Goal Project (Washington, D.C.) – The Open Goal Project was founded by a D.C. native to directly tackle the pay-to-play economic barrier in American soccer, leading the fight for racial and social equity in American youth soccer, and became one of the first organizations to draw national awareness to the issue. The organization offers competitive club soccer, rec leagues, and college identification camps –– all completely free, and recently launched a funding campaign to launch a second female team.
• Houston reVision (Houston) – The mission of ReVision is to leverage the power of community by connecting youth with mentors, positive peers and life-changing resources. Since 2012, ReVision has worked to break the cycle of isolation among the most profoundly disconnected youth, most of whom are caught up in the juvenile justice system. Along with their mentorship, restorative justice work, and social programming — reVision provides competitive soccer programming for mostly African refugee players from South Houston.

ABOUT PEPSICO
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complimentary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for the planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

ABOUT FOR SOCCER
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