Last week, Lee Popper’s driveway on Newbury Park was chockablock with used soccer equipment destined for young players in four different parts of the globe. Hundreds of pairs of cleats, shin guards, shorts, jerseys, socks and, of course, soccer balls, took up the better part of the space. Large cardboard barrels marked Antigua, Uganda, Honduras and Kenya were covered with notes and good wishes from the Massachusetts kids who donated equipment so that other children can enjoy it. It’s now all en route to each of the designated countries.
Popper was the goalie for the Needham High soccer team of 1990, and his dedication to the sport has never wavered. Along with coaching a whole generation of teams while continuing to play “senior” soccer at a high level, he helped launch an advanced training program, called Mass Athletic Performance (MAP), to help young players build skills and physical capacity that help them play at a higher level with fewer injuries. Through MAP, Popper and his fellow organizers began contributing to the large global soccer equipment redistribution movement.
“We started doing this about six years ago when I heard about a man who went to Uganda to orphanages and brought them whatever he could carry,” said Popper. “We overwhelmed him with items to bring. He’d send back pictures with kids and stories saying not only were they the first cleats some of these kids had, but the first shoes of any kind.”
The program has expanded to clubs and camps all over the area, including Boston College High School and Nobles and Greenough School. Sometimes whole teams have hosted collections as a community service.
“It’s very rewarding,” said Popper. “It’s great for our kids and for the kids who receive the equipment.”
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