Balls Without Borders



Why We Do This


Picture: Handing out balls to Iraqi chidren;
photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force


Bridging Cultures

Balls without Borders encourages youth around the World to get involved in the organization by donating a new or used soccer ball to send to a child growing up in a refugee camp or war-torn region abroad. When a child donates their ball, we write their name on it, then we send the ball around the world to a child who then writes their name on the ball. The process creates a sort of pen-palship, and an avenue for cultural awareness and understanding through the common language of football (soccer); the 'World's Game'.

For children who may harbor a limited understanding of the events that surround them in the midst of war, being given a benevolent gift that they can relate to, a soccer ball, will make a lasting impression on their young lives for years to come.

Play Therapy

Today, we know children and adolescents are susceptible to developing PTSD. Play therapy is a tool which can be used to bring a sense of empowerment back to the children and aid in the healing process. Research for PTSD is on the cutting edge of science and researchers are beginning to develop child-focused interventions; such as PLAY Therapy.

A diagnosis of PTSD means that an individual experienced an event that involved a threat to one's own or another's life or physical integrity and that this person responded with intense fear, helplessness, or horror. There are a number of traumatic events that have been shown to cause PTSD in children and adolescents. Children and adolescents may be diagnosed with PTSD if they have survived natural and man made disasters such as floods, or events associated with War.

A child with PTSD can often have problems with fear, anxiety, depression, anger and hostility, aggression, self-destructive behavior, feelings of isolation and stigma, poor self-esteem, and difficulty in trusting others.

At BWB, we believe playing sports will forge friendships, and provide a way for children to have some semblance of a normal childhood. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) says exercise can actually help relieve some of the symptoms of stress. Ball games specifically require the kind of vigorous activity that rids your body of stress-causing adrenaline and other hormones.

More information about PTSD can be obtained online at:

The National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD)
Wikipedia






Balls Without Borders is a registered 501(c)(3) Public Charity Non-Profit Organization helping children in need find a new perspective through sport. Photos and current activity reports will be updated periodically so please check back.