Josh Trautwein - 2010 Pratt Award
PRATT AWARD Dean Pratt epitomizes the philosophy of Cooperative Education. He participated in the Co-op program as a civil engineering student, went on to become a Cooperative Education Coordinator, and rose to become Dean of the Cooperative Education Department. Dean Pratt truly believes that Co-op makes a significant contribution to a student’s academic preparation.
Accordingly, the award which bears his name will be presented annually to a senior student who demonstrated exceptional personal and professional growth as a result of their Co-op experiences.
The following is an excerpt from his nomination paper drafted by Lisa Worsh, Co-op Faculty:
Josh graduated in 2010 with a Sociology degree from the College of Arts and Sciences. He completed two co-ops, an internship at the center for Sport and Society, and earned the Pratt Co-op Award for demonstrating exceptional personal and professional growth as a result of his Co-op experiences.
He completed the following co-ops:
- Massachusetts Premiere Soccer : Assistant League and Tournament Director
- Soccer1.org: Founder and creator
Josh sought out (and successfully created) two especially challenging experiences for his co-ops and received glowing reviews from his supervisors or contributors. Most impressively, he has demonstrated great determination and a willingness to gain valuable experience, even if the ideal opportunity is unpaid and needs to be created by himself. He got assistance with his research for the second co-op from two of the Sociology Department faculty members (Shelly Kimelberg and Michael Handel).
At his position with Mass Premiere Soccer (MPS., Josh was responsible for marketing and sales primarily for a Halloween themed tournament (Soccerween). He also oversaw communication for several leagues in progress during the Summer, Fall, and Winter Seasons, and managed the marketing, sales, planning, logistics, and game day operations of a 20 team tournament. In addition to this office role, Josh coached clinics and a team involved in the youth program on a daily basis. Josh’s job required a great attention to detail, understanding about soccer, and ability to work with hundreds of youth and families simultaneously. Not an easy job. He loved it, learned a lot, and did an amazing job there. He learned the ins-and-outs of running soccer leagues, and decided he wanted to offer soccer leagues to children who seemed to be excluded.
For his second co-op, Josh had continued to build on his love for organized youth sport and community building. A dialogue in Summer 2 of 2008 brought him to Africa. Playing soccer in the streets with the children renewed his passion to fight for a way for all urban youth to be able to play soccer on a team if they want to. Josh came to me and said…”I have a crazy idea, I want to start a non-profit that supports and allows all urban youth to play soccer in a league in Boston.” We talked and brainstormed and he came up with a lofty and well thought-out plan. He gathered research oversight from two professors in the department (not an easy feat), and started on his path. He did so much more than we ever thought he could (and hasn’t stopped)! He created Soccer1.
Soccer1 is a social business that works on creating leagues, tournaments and events in the hopes of facilitating communication between peoples and cultures that would not typically be contact with one another. “We begin as an organization that stretches locally within Boston, with grand a vision of creating an international Soccer1. community. Moving forward, we will begin to expand our resources and operations into the most disadvantaged communities worldwide. We envision a day where we host an international festival of soccer that celebrates the diversity of the Soccer1. community to create a hub of advocacy and social capital.”
Josh accomplished so much during his co-ops
1. He created a webpage and formed a reputation and corporate image for Soccer1. before his six months were over
2. Josh attended a conference in Washington, DC called the Urban Soccer Collaborative where he met several other like-minded organizations and gained a lot of terrific contacts
3. Josh got hired on at the NU Center for Sport and Society as a research assistant, which he added to be part of his experiential co-op for Spring 09, only four months into his work on his business
4. He was invited to present his research abstract at the Power of Sport Summit 2009 – Sport and Social Responsibility and did so with two established professionals. The session was called “The Sport-Based Youth Development Movement – Josh Trautwein – NU, Dr. Ted Fay, Sport in Society Research Fellow, SUNY Cortland, Dr. Emese Ivan , Ball State University”
5. the World Cup Boston 2010 initiative offered to pay him for his work on the (WCB) project
6. Soccer1 was invited to play in the America SCORES Cup in Gillette Stadium
7. Josh started a social media group called Youth Development on NU Sport In Society’s pages
8. In October 2009, Josh told me that the World Cup Boston project has tentatively allotted him $16,000 in their grant money to plan their various programs through July
9. Soccer1 was also chosen as the beneficiary of the New England Revolution (MA Men's professional soccer team) Passback Program. He received about $10,000 in soccer gear to distribute. (Josh donated these to Sport in Society – see link below). Josh was invited to the NE game to receive equipment in support of Soccer1, and was also included in a press release about the event
Press release link.
10. Josh also was honored from Sport in Society with the 2010 Kevin Fitzgerald Giving Back Award for outstanding community service. “Kevin strongly believed that childrens' development, self-esteem and values are improved by the introduction of physical activity and healthy development opportunities. He felt every child deserved equal access to activities that would keep them active, safe, engaged, and healthy.” And Josh is receiving this award as well!
In the future, according to Josh, he wants to get his MBA and be a Social Entrepreneur. He wants to create something that is sustainable and affordable and may help urban children everywhere. I think Josh can, and will, come up with something for Urban Youth everywhere. He has already impacted so many Boston Youth, I believe he will impact many more!
View Josh's video from the award's banquet.
Event Press release link.
Event summary link.
Page from the awards booklet - Josh
Josh has also started another company as well The Fresh Truck.