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About SAM
SAM's Mission
Soccer Alliance Missoula promotes programs and activities that increases participation in soccer for any and all ages, abilities and cultures. Soccer for all enhances community health by bringing joy through play, building self-esteem and well being, encouraging exercise, and creating relationships within a community of players and support.
MAKE SOCCER YOUR JOURNEY
Soccer is a journey not a destination. We believe the sport can and should be played for a lifetime. The game is adaptable, can be tailored for any ability, and can be played any place where there is relatively flat ground.
In the US, we are taught that soccer is a game played by youth or by professionals on TV. But it is more than that, soccer is a culture, a culture that creates friendships, enhances community health, builds self-esteem, and a game that can be played for a lifetime. SAM promotes building this culture and changing the dominant view of the game. We want the game to create fun and joy not strip it away. We want success in soccer to be about the friends made not the cups won. We want a game where cost is not a barrier and not a means to discriminate. And we want a game that accepts all abilities, all body types, and all races and colors.
We can build a soccer community that offers places and programs for all. Join us in this journey to build Missoula soccer on a foundation of fun, with walls made of joy, inclusion, and acceptance, and covered by a sheer love for the game.
Who Is SAM?
Soccer Alliance Missoula is a group of soccer enthusiasts that advocate for a greater and more inclusive Missoula soccer community. We promote playing the game to improve community physical and mental health and to connect individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds through soccer. We remove barriers and stigmas for those left out of the game and create opportunities for all those with a desire to play. Under represented groups in our Missoula soccer community include:
● Refugee and immigrant community
● Players with disabilities
● Youth left out of pay to play programs
● University students, including international students at UM
● Adult men and women with limited access to play
● Novice and beginner adults
MINI PITCHES
Soccer can positively impact local communities by promoting social and economic development. Building dedicated places to play offers the soccer community a place to gather, a place for practice, and a place for informal pickup and free play soccer. US Soccer has established a goal of building 1,000 mini-pitches before the 2026 World Cup. SAM's goal is to build two mini-pitches open to anyone to play. Help us down this journey to identify, fund, plan and build these places.