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Beyond the Field: Soccer, Trust, and Opportunity for Newcomer Youth

turf field as the background. SITG logo at the top, INSIDE THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS in green text below that. Photos of Jennifer Tepper and Bruno Contreras centered with their names and "Soccer Without Borders" in white text underneath.
Mariann Do

Soccer is often called the world’s universal language—but what happens when it becomes the only language you share in a brand-new country?

This week on Skin in the Game, John and Tim sit down with Jennifer Tepper, Executive Director of Soccer Without Borders, and Bruno Contreras, Program Director in Massachusetts, to explore how the organization is using sport to build trust, belonging, and opportunity for immigrant, refugee, and underserved youth.

With a model that prioritizes relationships over results, Soccer Without Borders has served more than 60,000 young people from over 120 countries, helping them find community, develop life skills, and simply rediscover the joy of play.

From inclusive coaching practices and culturally connected mentorship to the realities of funding nonprofit work in today’s climate, this conversation reveals what’s possible when sport is designed for connection first—and competition second.

Skin in the Game 2026
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