Senda News
Senda recognized as a "2018 Best For The World" Benefit Corporation
Earlier in June, it was announced that Senda Athletics was recognized as a "Best For The World Honoree" in the category of Corporate Governance by B Lab, a non-profit organization which created and awards the B-Corporation certification for socially responsible companies. Today, B Lab announced the "2018 Best For The World" Changemakers list, which includes Senda Athletics. The Changemakers list honors the B Corps who have taken the greatest strides to create measurable impact improvement over the last two years. Improvement on this scale isn’t easy work. Companies on this list have converted to employee ownership, changed to local or more sustainable suppliers, and invested in diversifying their board and employees. The algorithm used to calculate the Changemakers list assesses positive change made on individual questions. Earning recognition from B Lab for this award was a result of Senda Athletics earning a high score on the "B Impact Assessment". The B Impact Assessment judges a company's performance in the standards such as environmental sustainability, diversity, employee relationships, involvement in the local community, and value created for society. In the specific category of Governance, companies are assessed on their overall mission, ethics, accountability, and transparency. It measures whether a company has adopted certain social/environmental objectives, and how well it engages company members as well as the outside community with respect to that mission. Furthermore, this section assesses employee access to financial information, customers' opportunities to provide feedback, and the diversity of the company's governing bodies. We at Senda feel very grateful to B Lab for selecting us as a “Best For The World Honoree”. Senda takes pride in its ability to produce high-quality fair trade soccer and futsal balls while still providing livable wages to our workers in Pakistan. Being labeled as an honoree in the category of Governance is a very rewarding distinction as it affirms our status as a social venture. We would also like to thank Elizabeth Babson and her colleagues at Drinker Biddle LLP, who have been with us throughout our entire B Corp and fundraising journeys. Senda would not be where it is if it wasn’t for our friends at DrinkerBiddle and their incredible support in our legal needs. We highly recommend Drinker Biddle LLP and Elizabeth (Lizzie to us!) to B Corps and socially responsible businesses. Providing fair trade soccer balls and working with its non-profit partners is Senda's primary way of giving back to the community. Check out our special B-Corporation soccer balls here.
Senda recognized as a "2018 Best For The World" Benefit Corporation
Earlier in June, it was announced that Senda Athletics was recognized as a "Best For The World Honoree" in the category of Corporate Governance by B Lab, a non-profit organization which created and awards the B-Corporation certification for socially responsible companies. Today, B Lab announced the "2018 Best For The World" Changemakers list, which includes Senda Athletics. The Changemakers list honors the B Corps who have taken the greatest strides to create measurable impact improvement over the last two years. Improvement on this scale isn’t easy work. Companies on this list have converted to employee ownership, changed to local or more sustainable suppliers, and invested in diversifying their board and employees. The algorithm used to calculate the Changemakers list assesses positive change made on individual questions. Earning recognition from B Lab for this award was a result of Senda Athletics earning a high score on the "B Impact Assessment". The B Impact Assessment judges a company's performance in the standards such as environmental sustainability, diversity, employee relationships, involvement in the local community, and value created for society. In the specific category of Governance, companies are assessed on their overall mission, ethics, accountability, and transparency. It measures whether a company has adopted certain social/environmental objectives, and how well it engages company members as well as the outside community with respect to that mission. Furthermore, this section assesses employee access to financial information, customers' opportunities to provide feedback, and the diversity of the company's governing bodies. We at Senda feel very grateful to B Lab for selecting us as a “Best For The World Honoree”. Senda takes pride in its ability to produce high-quality fair trade soccer and futsal balls while still providing livable wages to our workers in Pakistan. Being labeled as an honoree in the category of Governance is a very rewarding distinction as it affirms our status as a social venture. We would also like to thank Elizabeth Babson and her colleagues at Drinker Biddle LLP, who have been with us throughout our entire B Corp and fundraising journeys. Senda would not be where it is if it wasn’t for our friends at DrinkerBiddle and their incredible support in our legal needs. We highly recommend Drinker Biddle LLP and Elizabeth (Lizzie to us!) to B Corps and socially responsible businesses. Providing fair trade soccer balls and working with its non-profit partners is Senda's primary way of giving back to the community. Check out our special B-Corporation soccer balls here.
Senda Switch Video Blogspot: Street Soccer
Millions of people around the world play street soccer everyday, because not everybody has a grass field to play on. Senda is the leading brand in futsal, beach, and street soccer. For many people around the world, there isn’t a grass field nearby to play on and Senda is solving that problem by producing high quality durable balls meant for the streets. So, the next time you want to go out and play, #NoGrassNoProblem. Street Soccer is synonymous with the grassroots soccer movement in the United States. Throughout the soccer community, youth soccer has been suffering from the "pay to play" model. Instead of extolling values such as community, teamwork, and having fun, the mentality to win has taken precedence. Street Soccer offers a model to break through this development. You can practice your skills around your neighborhood, with your friends, and play the game we all love. While Senda is primarily a fair-trade equipment company for street soccer, at the end of the day we want to get out and play street soccer just as much as every other player out there. Featured in the video, there are many street soccer players that have developed their craft in the streets and taken their talents to the next level. Featured in the video we have Abou Traore,who has joined Cirque du Soleil for ‘Luzia.’ Traore was twenty-one when he started playing ‘fútbol freestyle.’ His interest was piqued when he watched the Cirque performers on TV and YouTube doing ‘amazing acrobatics.’ When a casting call was put out, Abou responded, “It was like a dream when I got a call back. Five years ago, I was playing street soccer on the street and the work pays,” he said. In addition, we also have Nick Rogers, who grew up in Orange County, CA and is developing a pickup/ street soccer style, also known as “Panna”. He coaches youth street soccer in Northern California, in the city of Rohnert Park. Lastly, there is Dania Cabello, a bay area native who went on to feature for Santos FC of Brazil in 2006. Working previously as a sports liberation educator, she facilitated lessons for the youth exploring the historical roots of oppression in street soccer and society. She currently teaches a methods course at St. Mary’s College exploring how to implement physical education and sports programs. Street Soccer is a blossoming sport in the United States, and Senda is excited to see the development of futsal freestyle accompanying this movement.
Senda Switch Video Blogspot: Street Soccer
Millions of people around the world play street soccer everyday, because not everybody has a grass field to play on. Senda is the leading brand in futsal, beach, and street soccer. For many people around the world, there isn’t a grass field nearby to play on and Senda is solving that problem by producing high quality durable balls meant for the streets. So, the next time you want to go out and play, #NoGrassNoProblem. Street Soccer is synonymous with the grassroots soccer movement in the United States. Throughout the soccer community, youth soccer has been suffering from the "pay to play" model. Instead of extolling values such as community, teamwork, and having fun, the mentality to win has taken precedence. Street Soccer offers a model to break through this development. You can practice your skills around your neighborhood, with your friends, and play the game we all love. While Senda is primarily a fair-trade equipment company for street soccer, at the end of the day we want to get out and play street soccer just as much as every other player out there. Featured in the video, there are many street soccer players that have developed their craft in the streets and taken their talents to the next level. Featured in the video we have Abou Traore,who has joined Cirque du Soleil for ‘Luzia.’ Traore was twenty-one when he started playing ‘fútbol freestyle.’ His interest was piqued when he watched the Cirque performers on TV and YouTube doing ‘amazing acrobatics.’ When a casting call was put out, Abou responded, “It was like a dream when I got a call back. Five years ago, I was playing street soccer on the street and the work pays,” he said. In addition, we also have Nick Rogers, who grew up in Orange County, CA and is developing a pickup/ street soccer style, also known as “Panna”. He coaches youth street soccer in Northern California, in the city of Rohnert Park. Lastly, there is Dania Cabello, a bay area native who went on to feature for Santos FC of Brazil in 2006. Working previously as a sports liberation educator, she facilitated lessons for the youth exploring the historical roots of oppression in street soccer and society. She currently teaches a methods course at St. Mary’s College exploring how to implement physical education and sports programs. Street Soccer is a blossoming sport in the United States, and Senda is excited to see the development of futsal freestyle accompanying this movement.
Senda Spotlight: Diego Giustozzi, Argentina's Futsal World Cup Winning Coach
Diego Giustozzi, an Argentine Futsal World Cup winning coach, hosted a three-day clinic from June 11th-13th with Rose City Futsal Academy in Portland, Oregon. Senda Athletics worked with Rose City Futsal Academy to provide the gear used by the players during Giustozzi's weekend clinic with the futsal academy. As a former member of the River Plate Futsal Team in the AFA Futsal Championship, Giustozzi also played in the FIFA Futsal World Championships in both 2004 and 2008. As a competitor who has played in futsal leagues in countries such as Italy and Spain, Giustozzi has made a name for himself as one of the greatest Argentinian futsal players of all time. Senda engaged in a conversation with Diego Giustozzi about his life in futsal, as both a player and a coach. When asked about the most difficult aspect of being a futsal coach, the former Futsal World Cup winner responded, "I think that the most difficult part about being a coach is carrying out the ideas rooted in theory and practice. Normally, your coach always has an idea and is convinced in something that he wants, but the difficult part is making that a reality; there are a multitude of principles that you always have to consider that need to be concrete". Giustozzi also discusses the transition from being a futsal player to a coach, "For me personally, my experience as a futsal player has helped me tremendously, because of the type of player I was and the way that I thought off of the pitch. My style of play was never very flashy and I always found myself more of a coach on the pitch, which has helped me to make decisions as a technical director". One of the most difficult parts of being a futsal coach is finding the best way to achieve a competitive and winning mentality out of your players. Giustozzi shares his outlook on this objective, "I don't have a planned out strategy-I think that if I created one I wouldn't get the most important things done. My strategy is something that I hold within, where sincerity, daily tasks, planning, and professionalism are all things I have to consider to earn credibility". Rose City Futsal Academy held a training clinic session with Giustozzi as a special guest coach, and he had this to say regarding the experience, "The truth is that I left very happy with how Rose City treated me and above all, how involved the people were in every conversation, every technical training, and every practice that I had". Speaking about the future of futsal in the United States, Giustozzi was optimistic, "I believe that the U.S. has huge potential due to its wide margin to improve, has a large quantity of players, a great quality of players, and the proper infrastructure. The important thing for futsal in the United States in the future is to find the right path to growth". Giustozzi coached the Argentine National Futsal Team to a FIFA Futsal World Cup Final Victory in 2016. His emotions as a result of winning the trophy were expanded upon, "On a personal level, it was a single moment of joy that I hold with me for the rest of my life, but what it really changed was my professional life. The story of sport in Argentina changed; the same teams do not always win and we showed that by defeating Spain". Finally, when asked if he had any specific objectives as a futsal coach, Giustozzi displays his humility, "My goal has been the same as always and I don't give myself title-driven goals, as they are most often a result of various different reasons. My goals are not framed by winning titles, but rather by being the same person from Argentina that I was before I started winning titles and to not distract myself from the most important thing, my daily work. There are many moments of sacrifice, many moments of making decisions, and the details will make the difference. With that, the titles and opportunities to coach clubs will come. Giustozzi recently announced that he would be leaving his position as the coach for the Argentinian National Futsal Team, and is now a coach for El Pozo Murcia FS. Senda would like to thank Diego Giustozzi for being a positive figure in the futsal community and his passion for the sport we all love.
Senda Spotlight: Diego Giustozzi, Argentina's Futsal World Cup Winning Coach
Diego Giustozzi, an Argentine Futsal World Cup winning coach, hosted a three-day clinic from June 11th-13th with Rose City Futsal Academy in Portland, Oregon. Senda Athletics worked with Rose City Futsal Academy to provide the gear used by the players during Giustozzi's weekend clinic with the futsal academy. As a former member of the River Plate Futsal Team in the AFA Futsal Championship, Giustozzi also played in the FIFA Futsal World Championships in both 2004 and 2008. As a competitor who has played in futsal leagues in countries such as Italy and Spain, Giustozzi has made a name for himself as one of the greatest Argentinian futsal players of all time. Senda engaged in a conversation with Diego Giustozzi about his life in futsal, as both a player and a coach. When asked about the most difficult aspect of being a futsal coach, the former Futsal World Cup winner responded, "I think that the most difficult part about being a coach is carrying out the ideas rooted in theory and practice. Normally, your coach always has an idea and is convinced in something that he wants, but the difficult part is making that a reality; there are a multitude of principles that you always have to consider that need to be concrete". Giustozzi also discusses the transition from being a futsal player to a coach, "For me personally, my experience as a futsal player has helped me tremendously, because of the type of player I was and the way that I thought off of the pitch. My style of play was never very flashy and I always found myself more of a coach on the pitch, which has helped me to make decisions as a technical director". One of the most difficult parts of being a futsal coach is finding the best way to achieve a competitive and winning mentality out of your players. Giustozzi shares his outlook on this objective, "I don't have a planned out strategy-I think that if I created one I wouldn't get the most important things done. My strategy is something that I hold within, where sincerity, daily tasks, planning, and professionalism are all things I have to consider to earn credibility". Rose City Futsal Academy held a training clinic session with Giustozzi as a special guest coach, and he had this to say regarding the experience, "The truth is that I left very happy with how Rose City treated me and above all, how involved the people were in every conversation, every technical training, and every practice that I had". Speaking about the future of futsal in the United States, Giustozzi was optimistic, "I believe that the U.S. has huge potential due to its wide margin to improve, has a large quantity of players, a great quality of players, and the proper infrastructure. The important thing for futsal in the United States in the future is to find the right path to growth". Giustozzi coached the Argentine National Futsal Team to a FIFA Futsal World Cup Final Victory in 2016. His emotions as a result of winning the trophy were expanded upon, "On a personal level, it was a single moment of joy that I hold with me for the rest of my life, but what it really changed was my professional life. The story of sport in Argentina changed; the same teams do not always win and we showed that by defeating Spain". Finally, when asked if he had any specific objectives as a futsal coach, Giustozzi displays his humility, "My goal has been the same as always and I don't give myself title-driven goals, as they are most often a result of various different reasons. My goals are not framed by winning titles, but rather by being the same person from Argentina that I was before I started winning titles and to not distract myself from the most important thing, my daily work. There are many moments of sacrifice, many moments of making decisions, and the details will make the difference. With that, the titles and opportunities to coach clubs will come. Giustozzi recently announced that he would be leaving his position as the coach for the Argentinian National Futsal Team, and is now a coach for El Pozo Murcia FS. Senda would like to thank Diego Giustozzi for being a positive figure in the futsal community and his passion for the sport we all love.
Introducing Senda's Ball Packs
After so many of you asked us about ball packs, Senda is excited to launch these on our website, which will allow you to buy our soccer balls in bulk! These packs are specially crafted for teams, clubs, academies and organizations who may buy our product for the upcoming season or any other events they may put on throughout the year. Some of the ball packs that are now available on our website include packs for the Playa Beach Soccer Ball, the Valor Match Soccer Ball, the Street Soccer Ball, and many others.Whether you are playing on the beach, on the street, on a soccer field, or indoors, there is a ball pack for EVERYONE. Providing fair trade soccer balls for a great value is Senda's way of giving back to the community. Check out our ball packs here.
Introducing Senda's Ball Packs
After so many of you asked us about ball packs, Senda is excited to launch these on our website, which will allow you to buy our soccer balls in bulk! These packs are specially crafted for teams, clubs, academies and organizations who may buy our product for the upcoming season or any other events they may put on throughout the year. Some of the ball packs that are now available on our website include packs for the Playa Beach Soccer Ball, the Valor Match Soccer Ball, the Street Soccer Ball, and many others.Whether you are playing on the beach, on the street, on a soccer field, or indoors, there is a ball pack for EVERYONE. Providing fair trade soccer balls for a great value is Senda's way of giving back to the community. Check out our ball packs here.
Why YOU Should Play Beach Soccer
People love playing soccer at the beach, as it is very good exercise and you can take in some amazing views. On sand, it is much harder to dribble a soccer ball and navigate your way throughout the “pitch”. Thankfully, Senda’s Playa Beach Soccer Ball allows you to play soccer at the beach with greater ease
Why YOU Should Play Beach Soccer
People love playing soccer at the beach, as it is very good exercise and you can take in some amazing views. On sand, it is much harder to dribble a soccer ball and navigate your way throughout the “pitch”. Thankfully, Senda’s Playa Beach Soccer Ball allows you to play soccer at the beach with greater ease
Senda Spotlight: U.S. Youth Futsal National I.D. Trials
On June 29-30th, 500+ of the best youth futsal players across the United States competed in the U.S. Youth Futsal I.D. National Trials. The Futsal I.D. State Trials, which occurs annually, have the objective of scouting the best youth futsal players to be invited to the U.S. Youth Futsal National I.D. Trials.
Senda Spotlight: U.S. Youth Futsal National I.D. Trials
On June 29-30th, 500+ of the best youth futsal players across the United States competed in the U.S. Youth Futsal I.D. National Trials. The Futsal I.D. State Trials, which occurs annually, have the objective of scouting the best youth futsal players to be invited to the U.S. Youth Futsal National I.D. Trials.