Poetry and soccer may not seem like a match, but for Tony Francavilla, combining the two comes naturally. Francavilla’s everyday life is filled with scoring goals and writing verses with DC’s youth.
DC SCORES, where he is the chief development officer, is a nonprofit that brings together youth sports, creativity, and education. Founded at a DC elementary school in 1994, DC SCORES aims to turn children into independent, successful teenagers and adults and empower them to be the best they can be. Francavilla, who is also a member of the board of CRYSP DC, explained the impact that working for DC SCORES has had on him and how it benefits the community.
His journey started as a donor and volunteer with DC SCORES when he got to see the organization’s contribution to the East Side Poetry Slam. Learning about an organization that combines poetry and soccer excited him as an athlete and English major. Now working for DC SCORES, Francavilla sees “poet-athletes” as powerful, intelligent, active people in the community who express themselves with their words and actions. When talking about the children who benefit from DC SCORES, Francavilla explains, “This entire concept of a poet-athlete is incredibly powerful. That's something that we should be talking about and trying to create more of in the world.“
DC SCORES has served more than 3,000 poet-athletes, at over 60 schools, with a dozen other schools on their waitlist for which they are currently seeking funding. The organization exposes and cultivates children’s creativity through poetry events. Poetry slams bring students together in competitive spoken word. Celebrity guests present awards at the end of the event. The poetry competitions are even more competitive than the soccer tournaments, according to Francavilla. Children have composed thought-provoking pieces on their feelings towards the 2016 presidential election and on mental health issues, among many others.
For soccer tournaments, DC SCORES utilizes the Fields at RFK Campus. Children love coming to The Fields and seeing the “giant Pringle” (the Pavilion). Adults can even join in on the fun at the SCORES Cup, which is a tournament just for them. DC SCORES provides safe, physical spaces for people in the community to play soccer. “A safe space is a brave space,” says Francavilla. Children can play without being in physical danger and show their true selves on the field and in the classroom.